The Ice Dragon of Remnant
by Calcipher763
Summary: Naruto had a promise to fulfill but when his actions lead him to being transported to Remnant with no idea how to get home, he must learn all that he can to find a way back. Things will be difficult but with the help of his friends, and the Shinigami powers he just unlocked, he may find more than he bargained for on Remnant. (Adopted)
1. Chapter 1

**So, bit of a backstory to why I'm uploading yet another Naruto/RWBY crossover within a week of already having uploaded a new one. Well, not long after dropping the first one I was approached by Dragon Sage god with the offer to adopt a one-shot he'd made some time ago and to make it into a fully realized story. After a lengthy discussion in regards to how we wanted to story to go, among a few other details, I now find myself uploading a second Naruto/RWBY crossover with a splash of Bleach. I hope you all enjoy it because I'm already enjoying writing it and look forward to writing more. In the future I may take on other story adoptions should people ask and I find their stories interesting enough, however, for now, with four stories under my belt, I think I'll stick with what I have on my plate until I've completed one of them, at least for the time being.**

* * *

**Valley of the End**

The Valley of the End, one of the most sacred places for the people of Konoha. Here the statues of their greatest warriors stood tall and proud with a hand extended out towards one another in unification; Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara. At one point in time these two men were the best of friends but time, a series of unfortunate events, and a desire to change the world to mirror the image they envisioned within their own minds tore them apart. In the end one desired to become Hokage while the other was chosen to be Hokage by his people.

History has a way of repeating itself, it would seem. At the feet of these great figures, two boys, once rivals and friends, clashed. One, the descendant of Madara, sought to leave his village in order to obtain power and take his revenge against the man who destroyed his family and clan. His opponent, the son of the Village's greatest heroes, ostracized by everyone for the curse he must bear, seeks to fulfil a promise he made to the girl he loves and admires.

Uchiha Sasuke, the last surviving member of his clan. Clad in a blue shirt with the contrasting red and white fan, the mark of his clan, emblazoned on his back, with black shorts, and shinobi sandals. His appearance was no longer human as his skin had been changed to a sickly grey with a large black **X** mark that covered his face and forehead. Large, fleshy wings had sprouted from his back, reminiscent of massive hands. This sudden shift in his appearance was all curtesy of the curse mark placed upon him by Orochimaru as a means of enticing him to join his side with the promise of immense power. Needless to say, Sasuke was interested.

Standing opposite him on the other side of the waterfall was his friend and former rival Uzumaki Naruto. Clad in his signature orange jumpsuit and shinobi sandals, his blond hair and facial whiskers had taken on a more feral appearance since the fight began. Tapping into the Kyuubi's chakra buried deep within him, the orange aura had engulfed his form, changing his appearance somewhat as he crouched low on all fours. His anger and desperation for the power necessary to bring his friend home and fulfil his promise unlocked the power he needed but at a cost to his sanity and perhaps even his life.

Their fight had raged on for quite some time with each boy landing critical blows against the other. It had taken its toll, most notably on Naruto who'd lost feeling in his right arm midway through the fight. Regardless, he could still manipulate the chakra throughout his body and he forced it into the unresponsive limb, feeling it move as he generated the power necessary to begin forming a sphere in his palm. The spinning orb of blue chakra, now purple in coloration due to the mixture of the Kyuubi's own chakra being added to the mix, formed in his hand as he readied himself for his final attack.

Seeing what his old friend was doing, Sasuke prepared himself for the final assault. His body ached, unused to the demands pressed upon him by the stage 2 curse mark, but despite this he forced his hands to make the signs necessary to defend himself. Lighting crackled in his hand, a once blue light now turned black from the corruption brought upon by the curse mark. The two boys starred each other down, wondering, hoping that the other would relent and bring this fight to an end. When neither did, however, they leapt into action.

"CHIDORI!" Sasuke cried out, bring his lighting engulfed hand forward as the cascading sound of birds filled the air.

"RASENGUN!" Naruto bellowed, the sound of his voice drowned out by the rushing winds of his attack.

Their attacks collided. The energy was immense and, rather than repel one another, the energy seemed to merge before expanding into a mass that engulfed the two boys completely. The energy merged and coalesced, interacting in a way that would have been seen as odd had either of the boys been paying attention. It soon garnered it as it quickly expanded upon itself, engulfing them in a mass of black energy. The sphere churned and rippled with lighting, the events transpiring within a mystery to anyone who might be watching. Before long, however, an object was expelled forcefully from the mass, slamming into a wall of rock where his impact left the stone chipped and cracked outwardly in a spider web pattern. Sasuke groaned, his form having reverted back to his natural human appearance, the curse mark receding into the small tattoo that adorned his neck.

Up above the black spherical energy still raged with Naruto inside. Slowly, it began to recede into itself, collapsing until there was nothing left but empty space. Naruto never emerged. Whether he was alive or dead was uncertain. What was for certain was that he was gone from this world and where the mass of energy had taken him, only he would know, assuming he survived the trip that is.

**Location Unknown**

While Sasuke had been sent back to his world by the force of the energy, Naruto had unfortunately ended up somewhere else. Where he was could not be explained in words. In a way it was where all worlds begin and where they return to once they'd reached their end. For any normal person who found themselves here, they could expect a swift end as the energies found throughout would tear them apart atom by atom so fast that they wouldn't even have time to register the pain before they ceased to exist. Naruto, on the other hand, was no normal teenager and his intimate relationship with the Kyuubi inside him ensured that his death would be held at bay for as long as the Fox could manage. Whether that was fortunate or not was something only he could decide. For now, however, Naruto would remain unaware of the plight he was in as the Kyuubi worked frantically to find a way out.

"**Where the hell are we?**" the Kyuubi asked, looking around their environment for some discernable landmark or detail.

He could see nothing, however, his vision filled with the sight of an endless darkness that preceded and proceeded the beginning and ending of all things. Already he could feel energies beginning to tear at his own incorporeal form and, while he would be able to last a great deal longer than most, his host, Naruto, would have no such luck. If he was to escape this place he would have to do it with the boy intact but it was obvious he would find no means of escape in this place. Unless he wanted to wait for something, anything to be breathed into existence and that was a possibility he didn't have the luxury of waiting for. Time had no meaning here, being only relative to the living and mortal, which meant that should something come into existence it would be at a point of its own choosing, not his. With no other option, the Kyuubi receded back into his host and began to look deeper. Perhaps somewhere buried deep within Naruto's own heritage he would find the answers he sought.

He poured through his memories, running through the many years of the boys childhood spent between running around performing pranks on the village and other times questioning his existence, wondering why he had been born without parents into a world that rejected him for reasons who could not even understand. He delved deeper, coming across the image of the Fourth Hokage and his wife, bidding their son goodbye as they sealed the Kyuubi within their infant son at the cost of their own lives. The Kyuubi snarled, his own memories of that night a bit blurry due to the fact that he had not been in full control of his own actions as well as the fact that what little freedom he'd been allowed to experience had been short lived before he was imprisoned once more. He pushed through, however, setting aside his own anger at the past to focus on the task at hand. He would take his revenge against the one who had done this to him in time. Until then, he and Naruto needed to survive.

The Kyuubi dove down further, swimming through generations upon generations, searching for something that might help. The further he went, though, the more he could feel the energies of this dimension beginning to take their toll on Naruto's body. He had to work fast before the damage became irreversible. After a few more moments he began to sense something. It was different, distinct, and certainly not native to Naruto's world. Knowing better than to look a gift fox in the mouth, he dove straight for it, believing it was as good a chance as any of achieving freedom.

"**What is this?**" he said, examining the power he'd found buried deep within the boy. "**Whatever it is, it had better be worth the trouble.**"

As soon as he opened it up, the power began to surge through Naruto, adding to his own in ways the Kyuubi did not quite understand. Regardless, it was useful as he could already sense numerous worlds beginning to open up to them, the closest one not far from their position. Taking hold of the ancient power within his host, the Kyuubi latched onto the small threat connecting their current location to that of the other world. Aligning their energies, he could feel themselves being pulled towards it until they were released from this world and spat out into another one entirely.

**Remnant – Somewhere in Mistral**

Naruto flew through the air, his landing being softened by the various branches he collided with as he sailed through the trees of the forest he had sprung out over. Before long he descended to the ground, running along the grass and dirt until he came to a complete stop. Despite the aggressive manner of his decent into this world, his chakra had ensured he was left relatively unharmed. What's more, throughout the entire ride he'd managed to keep an ironclad grip on a strange Kanata he now held in his hand. The sword seemed to resonate with some strange energy not native to this world and its connection to Naruto was an unknown as well. After a few moments he regained consciousness, pushing himself into a kneeling position as he rubbed his head.

"What the hell happened?" he asked aloud, not expecting anyone to answer his question.

Slowly, memories of his battle with Sasuke drifted to the surface of his mind. Sakura's desperate plea for him to bring Sasuke back. His heated exchange with his old friend and rival. The ever escalating stakes that had led to Sasuke tapping into the second form of his curse mark while Naruto had tapped into the primal energies of the Kyuubi's chakra. They'd prepared their final assault, lunging at one another, before his vision and memory went black.

"Sasuke!" he yelled abruptly, looking around in desperation for some sign of him.

Confusion swept over him as he registered the forest he now found himself standing in. It was obvious he was no longer in the Valley of the End. That only left the matter of where he was and how he'd ended up here. At best he could guess that the resulting explosion from their opposing attacks had somehow thrown him into a nearby forest and sent Sasuke flying off somewhere else. That only left the matter of figuring out where and if he was still alive and unharmed. In the long and short of it, though, he knew there was no hope of him retrieving Sasuke at this point. He had no idea how long he'd been knocked out and, even if it had only been a short while, he still didn't know where Sasuke was or where to begin looking for him. There was also the possibility that Orochimaru had already retrieved his newest tool and taken him away. It was frustrating to think about and even worse now that he had to return to Sakura and tell her he had failed to keep his promise. He clenched his hands in anger and that's when he noticed something odd.

There, clutched in his right hand, was a katana. He looked at it, puzzled by what he saw. While katana's weren't often used by shinobi, they were considered part of the arsenal used by his people. The Anbu for one, were well known for caring these swords and even shorter variations of them but Naruto had never seen the appeal. His ninja tools had always been more than enough with other items such as the windmill shuriken being used on occasion when the need arose. This one, however, looked more like something the Samurai in the country to the North used. It was long, about half Naruto's height, and had a distinct four pointed star cross guard on the hilt. A strange energy seemed to emanate from it and, strangely enough, Naruto thought he could sense it calling out to him, almost as if it could sense him just as much as he sensed it.

Shaking his head, he figured the flight and landing must have done some damage to his head and he quickly headed towards the sound of running water to splash some in his face. It didn't take him long to find a small stream emptying out into a small lake and Naruto eagerly walked towards it. The moment his reflection came into view he nearly stumbled over in confusion. Approaching slowly, he took in the image he saw before him, unsure of what he saw. His cloths had been burned around the edges, with the legs of his pants and sleeves of his shirt completely gone and blackened around the edges of his knees and elbows. They seemed to be a bit smaller as well, as if Naruto had grown a few inches within the time he was unconscious, but that wasn't what garnered his attention. His hair, set right above his headband which was hanging on by a few surviving threads, had changed color. No longer the signature blond, it had darkened, turning a strange shade of orange (think Ichigo from Bleach). Most of his other features had remained the same, however, his body was more lean and his shoes smaller. Something had happened, something he wasn't conscious for.

He wouldn't be getting any answers anytime soon, however, as the adrenaline which had been keeping him going had run its course and suddenly he felt all his energy fade from him. He collapsed to the ground, his headband finally snapping off the last few threads and landing in the dirt next to him, light reflecting off the forehead protector. His grip on his katana remained firm, though whether that was by Naruto's own desire to maintain a hold on it or the swords, one couldn't quite say.

He remained there, unconscious on the ground, until three men in dirty, ragged clothing emerged from the forest. Their skin was tanned from time spent in the sun and the weapons, both blades and guns, they wielded showed significant use and in desperate need of repair. They had been watching Naruto for some time, having witnessed his destructive entrance into the forest, and now regarded him from the outskirts with obvious trepidation. After a while, however, they decided it was safe enough to approach and slowly they made their way over to him. They crept cautiously forward, none of them too eager to approach, especially when he still had a firm grip on that expensive looking sword. Once they were standing right over him, however, they felt safe enough to inspect their prize.

"Think he's dead?" one of them asked.

"Nah, you idiot, he's still breathing."

"Don't call me an idiot."

"Then don't ask stupid questions."

"Shut up, both of you," the third man said as he crouched over Naruto. "Who do you think he is?"

"Huntsman maybe, from Haven?"

"What makes you say that?"

"The sword, obviously. What kind of person could afford something like that and not be huntsman trained or training. He's young enough to be in one of the academies."

"Then what was he doing flying through the trees?"

"I don't know? Maybe he fell out of a bullhead or something."

"We would have heard it flying overhead," the crouched man pointed out. "Whatever he is, I like that sword. I think I'll inspect it a little."

He reached out, attempting to wrest it from Naruto's hands. He didn't get much of a chance before the sword sent a sharp jolt of energy coursing through his arm. The man stumbled backwards, crying out in shock and pain as he clutched his arm.

"Son of a bitch!"

"What happened?"

"Damn thing must be booby-trapped. I guess that confirms he's a huntsman."

"So what do we do now?"

"What do you think? Grab him and his stuff, we're taking him back to camp. Raven will be interested in him as well."

Grumbling their complaints but otherwise doing as they were told, the two men picked up Naruto between them while the third grabbed the stuff which fell from his body and took point back to camp. Today was certainly turning out to be interesting.

**Mistral – Branwen Tribe Encampment**

"I sent you out to gather supplies and instead you bring me back a boy. Explain."

Raven sat with the three bandits standing at attention in her tent and Naruto, still unconscious, laying on the floor with his items placed atop him and the katana still clutched firmly in his hand. Raven's tent was adorned with items taken from various raids, some of them looking to be quite expensive while others appeared to have sentimental value. Raven herself sat upon a simple camping chair, certainly not a throne by any means, but the imposing image the former Huntress cut was enough to make the thing appear regal in her presence. Behind her stood a young girl, a little older than Naruto, with short brown hair and an intricate raven tattoo on her arm. Her face was stoic, giving away nothing, as compared to the bandits who knelt before them and looked very nervous. They had every reason to be.

"We saw him fall out of the sky," one of them began.

"You saw him fall out of the sky," Raven repeated in a mocking tone.

"Yes, he came flying out of the sky and crashed through the trees. We followed him to the lack where we found him collapsed. We think he might be a huntsman from Haven or Beacon," he said, the latter word causing Raven's eyes to narrow dangerously, "and we thought he might be of interest to you."

"He's wearing some strange clothes and his weapons are like nothing we've ever seen before."

True to their words the bandits had taken the liberty of rummaging through his pockets. They'd found them mostly empty save for the satchel he kept strapped to his back hip. Some of the things they showed her Raven recognized from her travels. Throwing stars, smoke pellets, and a few other items that she was unfamiliar with. What truly caught her eye was the katana he'd kept such a firm grip on the entire time. While not as long as her own, it was still intriguing nonetheless and no doubt came with a unique story to it as well.

"I see you left him with his weapon. Why?"

"We haven't had much luck removing it," their leader piped up, rubbing his arm with a grimace that spoke of an unpleasant memory. "We think he may have booby-trapped it to prevent anyone from taking it away while he slept."

"Is that so?" Raven asked quizzically.

Intrigued, Raven glanced down at the weapon in the boy's hands. Slowly, she reached out her own hand, ready to leap back at a moment's notice should something pop off or spring out in reaction to her medaling. When her fingers were just inches from the hilt she felt a reaction and not something she had expected. Her maiden powers flared within her, the energy rising in a manner meant to protect her from harm. The fact that they were doing this on instinct told her something less than accommodating was waiting for her should she make contact with the sword and she decided to leave it be.

"I see," she said, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. "Place him on the bed and leave," she instructed.

The bandits did as they were told, gently lifting and deposing Naruto on the mattress before exiting the large tent. Only their leader remained, his eyes wavering on the sword. He obviously wanted it but something, fear perhaps, kept him from reaching out and taking it. His desire to claim it for himself won out, however, and he slowly reached out his hand to take it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Raven said, watching him intently.

"Is that a no, Ma'am?" he asked, obviously concerned that he may be treading on unwelcome territory by taking something she considered hers.

"No, it's more helpful advice. You may take the sword but you may not like what it takes from you."

The bandit starred at her, puzzled at her cryptic words, before glancing back down at the sword. While the memory of what had happened flashed through his mind, he ignored it. Here, in the Branwen tribe, the Strong prevailed and the Weak died. He wasn't weak. If he were weak he wouldn't be able to handle the sword. He was strong, strong enough to work through the pain and claim it as his own. He reached out once more, forgoing all subtlety as he gripped the hilt and attempted to wrest it from Naruto's grip. He didn't get very far.

Without warning a sheet of ice erupted around his fingers and wrist, encasing them in a cold prison. Pain shot through his hand as he stumbled back. The ice slowly dissipated the further he drew away from the sword but the pain remained, a constant reminder of his foolishness. He quickly ran from the tent, Raven watching his hasty exit with an amused smile on her face. Her glance soon returned to the boy, still unconscious despite the botched attempt to relieve of his weapon, but otherwise unharmed. Certainly they had brought her someone interesting.

"Ma'am, what just happened?" the young woman asked.

"I'm not quite sure myself Vernal," Raven replied.

"Do you think it was a booby-trap just like he said?"

"I doubt it. I've never heard of a device small enough to conceal ice dust inside a sword's hilt nor have I ever seen ice dust react that way. If you noticed, it didn't touch the boy and reacted only to the man touching it but melted soon after he relented."

"Maybe it's his semblance?" Vernal suggested.

"Perhaps. We'll have to wait until our young guest wakes up to find out. Why don't you go get him something to eat and drink? I'm sure he'll be famished when he wakes."

Sparring a quick, curious glance in the boy's direction, Vernal left the tent in pursuit of the cooks to grab what food she could. Once she was gone, Raven fixed her own gaze on the boy, curious and intrigued in equal measure.

"Interesting indeed."

/-/

Naruto awoke some time later, his head throbbing. He groaned, clutching his head as he willed the pain away. It was strange in that it wasn't the same as a headache or migraine but somehow it caused him great discomfort. Slowly, the throbbing receded but somewhere in the back of his mind he could still feel it, like it had retreated in preparation for another assault. Whatever had caused it, he would have to establish later. For now he needed to figure out where he was.

The last thing he could recall he'd made a hard landing in a forest before making his way to a nearby lake. There he'd found his reflection had changed or rather that he himself had changed a great deal. After that he'd fallen unconscious and now had woken up in what he could see was a rather large tent. Unlike the ones he'd use while on a mission, this one was built to accommodate a large number of people, something that was usually meant to be used as a meeting hall or makeshift hospital. This one showed signs of having been lived in, if the furniture and numerous other items that were stacked around him were any indication. He himself was laid out on a large bed with his bag of ninja tools and his forehead protector sitting on the small nightstand next to him. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he was once more surprised to find the strange katana still clutched firmly in his hands. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it but his thoughts were quickly directed elsewhere when he heard someone cough loudly.

"You're awake," she said.

Naruto blinked a few times, allowing his eyes to adjust enough to make out the woman sitting across the room from him. She was older, possibly around Kakashi Sensei's age if he was being honest, though he'd never seen the man without his signature mask on. She had long raven black hair that came down to the middle of her back and piercing red eyes that starred at him with intrigue. The Yukata she wore matched her eyes and she wore a complementary pair of black shorts along with them and black boots that came up her thigh and stopped just short of her knees. Strapped to her hip was a large cylindrical device from which he could see the handle of a katana protruding from it a numerous colored vials set within the machine itself. It was a curious sight, as was she, and both were clues that he wasn't anywhere near Konoha or the Land of Fire for that matter.

"I take it you're the one who rescued me?" he ask, his throat raw and dry.

"In a manner of speaking. It was actually some of my men who found you. You apparently came flying out of the sky before crashing through some tress and collapsed beside a lake. Any of this sound familiar?"

"It does, actually," he replied, recalling his time at the lake and the moment he'd woken up after being reacquainted with the ground. "Where am I?" he asked.

"You're at our camp. This is the Branwen tribe and I am their leader, Raven Branwen," she said proudly.

"Humble as well," he remarked with a note of sarcasm.

Raven merely laughed, amused by his comment rather than offended. "Are you hungry?"

Before he could answer, Naruto's stomach growled loudly. She laughed again, somehow seeming relaxed while never dropping her guard, a rare ability that not many people could master. "Vernal, see to our guest."

At the mention of her name a young woman about his age stepped into the tent holding a plate stacked high with food and a large jug of water. She had short brown hair and slightly tanned skin from being out in the sun. On her arm he could see adorned there an intricate tattoo of a large bird, a Raven perhaps, over a flower. Her cloths looked tattered and worn with one of her pant legs being cut off just above her knee. Her face was unreadable but the look in her eyes told him she held no affection towards him. He decided it was best not to antagonize the scary looking girl, especially when he felt so weak, and offered her his silent thanks as he took the food and water before draining the jug of its contents. His throat sang with relief as it was caressed by the cool liquid. As soon as he was done he looked across the room at the two women who were gazing back with a mixture of surprise and amusement to his reaction.

"Thirsty?" Raven asked with a smirk.

"A bit," he replied.

"Well, seeing as how you're refreshed now, would you mind telling me how you got here?"

Naruto took a moment to collect his thoughts before recounting the events that had led him here. He was conscious enough to leave out the parts of him being tied to a Demon Fox Spirit, but otherwise he recited everything to the letter. In regards to how he had managed to end up in a forest of all places he wasn't quite sure nor as to why his appearance had changed so much since he'd last been awake. Raven watched him with an unreadable expression while Vernal's became more and more confused by the minute. She would steal the occasional glance down at her mentor but, when she made no sign that she had noticed, she would return to listening to Naruto, just as confused as she was before. When he was finished he waited for their own explanation. Vernal was the first to speak.

"You honestly expect us to believe that you're some ninja-?"

"Shinobi," Naruto corrected.

"Whatever, shinobi who used a ball of wind- "

"Chidori."

"Using some sort of energy- "

"Chakra."

"Against your best friend who was using lightening and the backlash from your attacks meeting each other sent you flying through the air and into the forest?"

"That's the best theory I can come up with given the evidence."

"Right," Vernal said, taking a moment to think before adding, "just how hard did you hit your head?"

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" Vernal asked, exasperated. "You're story makes do damn sense, that's what I mean!"

"What? How?"

"You honestly expect me to believe your some ninja- "

"Shinobi."

"I don't give a fuck!" she bellowed, causing him to flinch in surprise. "Ninjas don't exist. You're whole story is a load of shit."

"How do you not know about shinobi? We have villages in nearly every country, two in some."

"You're obviously delusional. Makes sense, though, given what they teach you at the academies."

"Academies?"

"Yea, the huntsman academies."

"What's a huntsman?" Naruto asked, his turn to be confused.

Vernal growled, her temper having reached its peak as she made to walk over and punch his teeth out. She was stopped by Raven who threw her hand out in front of her, the unreadable expression she wore having never faltered.

"He's telling the truth," she said.

"Raven?"

"Or at least, he believes he's telling the truth," she stated, rising from her chair to walk across the room.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his chair as the woman came to stand over him. Even when she was sitting she had cut an imposing figure and now she looked far more intimidating than he'd first thought. Taking his chin between her thumb and forefinger, she looked into eyes, searching for something he wasn't aware of. After a long silence she released her grip, a smirk spreading across her face.

"He is certainly an interesting one," she remarked. "Eat you fill and get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll give you a tour of the camp and find out just how skilled you are with that sword of yours," she said, pointing to his katana before exiting the tent with Vernal close behind.

Naruto watched them leave, curious to find out what had elicited that outburst from Vernal but decided to leave it for the morning. He instead turned his attention to the plate of food she'd brought which he was pleased to see had an assortment of fruits, vegetables, and meats. Eating his fill, he settled himself back down on the bed and felt his exhaustion overtaking him once more. All the while the Katana had remained firmly in his grip but he paid it little attention, more concerned with sleep as well as having a conversation with someone, or rather something, who might just have the answers he so desperately needed.

/-/

Naruto had only been inside the dark, dank realm that acted as the Kyuubi's prison within his soul a few times. While not a physical place, the connection each of them had to their respective chakras enabled them to interact with one another, ensuring that Naruto was standing a good ways back from the bars that separated them both. His feet were buried within ankle deep water as he gazed up at the massive fox, the creature laying down in a relaxing pose, never paying much mind to its visitor. Naruto steeled himself, knowing he had to be stern and confident when speaking with the Demon fox. Any show of weakness could prove fatal and right now he needed answers.

"Hey, Kyuubi, wake up," he shouted.

The creature lazily cracked open an eye, regarding Naruto as one might an ant that had crawled up on its plate.

"I need answers," he said.

"**Hmm,**" the fox said, closing its eye as it ignored its host's demands.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" he yelled.

"**I'm more than aware of that fact,**" it answered lazily.

"What happened during my fight with Sasuke? I don't remember anything which means you must have done something. What happened?"

"**I might have done something but you'll have to do something in return,**" the creature replied.

"And what might that be?"

"**A thank you.**"

"What?"

"**A proper thank you, for saving your worthless life.**"

"Why should I thank you? You've been oddly silent ever since we got here, wherever this is. What exactly did you do, anyway?"

"**I saved us from being torn to shreds by forces so powerful and ancient your puny mind can't even comprehend them,**" the fox growled at him. "**Thanks to your foolishness we were thrust from our world and nearly killed as a result. Now, while I don't relish the fact that I'm to remain a part of you for the foreseeable future, I will at least settle for a proper thank you.**"

Naruto starred up at the creature, mouth agape while its expression remained uninterested and lazy. Knowing that he would say nothing until he complied, Naruto slowly bowed himself forward. When he raised his head once more, the Fox's expression remained unchanged though there was an amused spark in its eye, as if it had not expected him to go so far but was nonetheless pleased.

"**Do you know what happened when your attack and Sasuke's collided?**"

"Not really. I blacked out when it happened."

"**I'm not surprised. The energies meshed together, enough to force your friend back and knock him unconscious. Where it not for me being in your body, you might have had the same thing happen to you as well, though I doubt you would have survived.**"

Naruto felt his stomach plummet. Whatever complaints he might have had regarding his unwarranted relationship with the Kyuubi, he was at least grateful that it had managed to keep him alive and unscathed. He could only imagine what might have happened to him otherwise.

"**When the energy dissipated, it took us with it and emptied us into the dimension of beginnings and endings.**"

"Huh?"

"**Essentially, it's where every world is born and where they eventually return to once they've reached their end.**"

"Oh, so like an afterlife of sorts?"

"**Basically. We were trapped there for some time, the energies nearly tearing you and I apart. I managed to find a way to pull us from that dimension and sent us here.**"

"Yea, but how?"

"**It would be difficult enough to explain but, essentially, I had to reach deep within you to find the means to exit that plain. Thankfully your family had an ancient power tucked away, something I had not encountered before. It's interesting that it would take the form of that sword.**"

At the mention of a sword, Naruto glanced down at his hand and was astonished to see he was holding the katana. Even in this place it still looked the same only it had a strange glow about it, like it was radiating energy of some kind. Stranger still, he swore he could hear something. It was faint and difficult to make out but it sounded almost like a disembodied voice, calling out his name. Something was inside of it but he wasn't sure what.

"What is this thing?"

"**How should I know? It came from your family line, not mine,**" the Kyuubi replied.

"Ugh, well, thanks for the help anyway. Now I just need to figure out where this place is and how I'm supposed to get back home."

"**Good luck with that,**" the fox replied before adding, "**watch out for that Raven woman.**"

"Huh? Why?"

"**I can't be sure but I sense an odd power radiating from her body. I can sense something similar from everyone else but it seems like a natural part of them so I've ignored it mostly. With her, however, it feels ancient for some reason and completely foreign to her body. I'd watch what I say or do around her. There's no telling what she's capable of.**"

"Thanks for the tip," Naruto said gratefully.

"**Don't read into it too much, kid. I'm simply warning so I don't get caught in the crossfire of your own stupidity,**" the Kyuubi replied before closing its eye and returning to his rest.

/-/

"You'll be expected to work and prove your worth while you're here," Raven instructed as she led Naruto through the makeshift camp.

Naruto looked around, unimpressed by the sight that greeted him. Tents of various colors and fabrics were set up with no thought to their location or their neighbors. As far as he could see, so long as they were within the boundary of the large wall they had erected, they were safe enough anywhere. Amongst the tents he could see broken crates, barrels, and chests, some filled with various items. Having learned that he'd been rescued by bandits earlier that morning, it wasn't difficult for him to assume that the items they owned were trophies pilfered from their victims. Another thing that became blatantly obvious to him was the camp's temperament towards him. None of the faces he had seen were at all friendly, with the kinder expressions being little more than a frown. He even recognized one of the men who'd brought him to the camp, a young guy a few years older than himself with blond hair and barely visible stubble. The moment he locked eyes with Naruto he scowled, turning away while clutching at his arm for some odd reason.

"We have a philosophy here. The Strong Survive and the Weak die."

"That's a bit dismal, don't you think?" he asked.

"It's simply the truth of things. Those who are strong are meant to survive while those who are weak are fated to be brushed aside."

"But shouldn't those who are strong lend their strength to those who are weak? Why not even help the weak to become strong?"

Raven stopped, turning to regard Naruto with a critical eye. "That sounds awfully similar to something they'd teach at the Huntsman academies. Out here, such things are unwelcome. You either adhere to the codes we set or you leave and strike out on your own. Your choice."

Naruto was hesitant for a moment. While he didn't agree with everything Raven had told him, he also knew he probably wouldn't be alive if not for the intervention of her and her bandits. Not only that but his knowledge of this world was horribly lacking, ensuring that if he stepped outside of this encampment with the intent to find his own way, he'd be effectively feeling his way through the dark as he struggled to make sense of their culture. After a while he conceded, nodding to Raven in acknowledgment. The older woman smiled, pleased with his answer before stepping into a large area cordoned off with a makeshift wooden fence.

"Let's test your ability and see if you're strong or weak," she said.

The moment he stepped inside, he realized what this was. Considering the layout, as well as the fact that most of the encampment had gathered around to watch, it was obvious this was a training arena of some sort. It made sense, given the fact that they would be expected to fight in order to defend themselves or, more accurately, overpower anyone they intended to steal from. Raven had walked to the opposite side of the arena, removing her katana from its scabbard. The metal made a loud sound as it was removed and Naruto couldn't help but stare at the length of the blade. It was longer than any normal katana he'd seen and looked difficult to wield but from the way Raven held herself, Naruto could see she was well seasoned with the weapon.

"Now, show me how well you handle your sword," she commanded.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I have no idea how to use a katana really," he admitted.

"Is that so? Then why carry it with you if you have no ability to use it?"

"Would you believe me if I said I'd never owned it until yesterday?" he asked.

"Perhaps. Regardless, I still expect you to fight. Now, show me whatever skills you have. Your objective is to either throw me from the ring, knock me out, or force me to surrender. Just so you're aware, the last option won't happen no matter what you do."

"We'll see," Naruto said.

Without waiting for anyone to call the fight, Naruto reached into his hip bag and removed a shuriken from inside. He threw it almost immediately, trusting the surprise attack to catch her off guard just long enough for him to produce a few shadow clones. Raven proved more adept than he'd anticipated as the shuriken pinged uselessly off the flat of her blade before she lunged forward, closing the distance in a matter of seconds. She followed up with a diagonal slash, watching as Naruto's surprised expression was cut in two. Bystanders all around cheered Raven on but their cheers were silenced when his form disappeared in a plume of smoke leaving everyone, Raven included, confused about how he had managed to evade her. She turned around in time to see Naruto standing behind her, making a cross sign with his fingers.

"Shadow clone jutsu!" he yelled.

All at once plumes of smoke appeared around the edges of the arena as perfect copies of Naruto appeared, surrounding her completely. The audience was stunned with a few crying out that he was cheating, but Raven paid little mind to their protests. She readied herself as the clones all lunged for her, attempting to overwhelm her with numbers. They were sorely mistaken. In a circular swipe, Raven slashed through a majority of the clones, filling the air with white smoke as they disappeared. Only one remained, the original by all appearances. Before he could retaliate, Raven lunged at him, stabbing her sword through his chest before he could counter. She heard a satisfied thunk as her sword impaled him, something which should have brought a smile to her face but didn't. She'd killed before and human bodies didn't make that sort of sound when impaled. Sure enough her suspicions were confirmed when this too disappeared, leaving in its place a large piece of wood with her sword firmly stuck in it. She didn't have much of a chance to yank it out when she took notice of several strange tags attached to it, all of them burning for some reason. She soon learned why when they all exploded at once, sending shards of wood sailing out in all directions. Bandits ducked and dove out of the way as shards of wood sailed through tents and impacted crates, barrels, and even the barricade. Only when the danger had passed did they venture to look up.

Unsurprisingly, Raven had survived the surprise attack. A little singed around the edges but alive and pissed. Her eyes were locked onto a pair of Naurtos across the arena, one holding his hand out while the other made what appeared to be exaggerated hand movements over the space around it. It was only when a small blue orb of energy began to appear that people took notice, taking a few cautionary steps away with some ready to bolt at the first sign of danger. Raven herself held her ground, unsure of what might happen should she attack. She would soon realize this didn't matter as the second Naruto disappeared, leaving the first with the orb swirling dangerously in his palm. Not wasting a moment, he charged forward, forcing the orb forward as he cried out his attack.

"RASENGUN!"

The orb flew through the air and straight at Raven who took the attack with the flat of her blade. Rather than dissipating like she had assumed it would, it instead pushed into her, pressing her back as she struggled to maintain her guard. It was a battle of wills as Raven was pushed against the ground towards the edge of the arena, leaving a trail in her wake. After a while she decided she'd had enough and forced the attack aside at the last moment. Bandits once more dove out of the way, having learned from the last volley, and watched as the blue orb sailed through the air, taking out tents, crates, and even smashing through the barricade before dissipating in the nearby forest but not before uprooting a few of the trees. Raven starred after it, watching its trail of destruction and finding a single bead of sweat trailing down her face. It was obvious she needed to bring this fight to an end now. Without a moment's hesitation she lunged forward, sending the pommel of her katana into his stomach, winding him, before giving him a swift roundhouse kick that sent him flying out and over the arena wall and into the dirt.

Naruto landed with a groan, struggling to pull himself to his feet as bandits crowded around him. Gazing up at them it was obvious he hadn't made any friends. On the contrary, it appeared the camp's overall opinion of him had suffered immensely, no thanks to his use of Rasengun during their fight. He was fully prepared for a fight, or rather to flee while looking like he was fighting, when Raven stepped from the arena herself, an amused smirk on her face.

"That was certainly an interesting fight. I haven't had a battle that close in quite some time," she said proudly.

"Raven, we should kick him out. Some of his attacks nearly injured us and his last one tore a hole in our defenses. He's too dangerous to keep around," Vernal argued with several other bandits voicing their support.

"It's true he's dangerous and quite powerful which is why he's staying," she said to the sound of grumbling and arguments. She continued, "unless you want me to kick him out, thereby ensuring the possibility he'll be picked up by a rival tribe or Haven and turned against us."

This was met with silence as no one wanted to consider that possibility. It was difficult enough for their tribe to survive with the threat of the Grimm as well as efforts made by local Huntsmen to hunt them down and bring them to justice. Despite this, Naruto's little display had not endeared him to anyone. It would take a great deal of time and effort for him to earn their trust and even then he was still an outsider. Regardless, Raven's word was law and to go against Raven was to invite disaster as the means of walking away from such a disrespectful act was to either publicly apologize to her or attempt to defeat her in combat. Obviously, most people chose the former option or simply avoided crossing her period.

"Good, now that we've settled that, I want the barricade repaired before the end of the day. We don't want any Grimm wandering inside while we're sleeping. The rest of you return to your duties."

The bandits did as they were told though not without a few grumblings here and there. Raven herself turned to regard Naruto, motioning for him to follow her. He followed her obediently, eager to distance himself from everyone else given his little mishap. She led him to the far side of the camp, well away from the others but still relatively close to her own overbearing abode. There he found a small one person tent set aside for himself, or so he assumed. Inside he could see a cot and a small chest to stow his belongings in.

"This is where you'll sleep from now on," she stated. "If you want something bigger you'll need to work for it. Nothing comes free in this world, though I'd venture the same could be said of your world as well. Anything you acquire during our raids is yours to keep. If something goes missing and you think someone stole it or you have a dispute with someone in the tribe, you'll work it out through combat. The winner, obviously, wins the dispute and that's that. Any questions?"

"Just one; when do I start working?" he asked, less eager to become a bandit and more so to start learning about the world outside the camp.

"I'll have you go on one of our raiding parties tomorrow. You'll be learning from them so be expected to do as your told. Remember, the Strong Survive- "

"And the weak die, I know," Naruto finished.

"Good," she said with a smirk before turning to leave.

/-/

Naruto laid in his cot, listening to the sounds of the bandits outside. He could hear faint laughter and some small talk going as well as a group play cards. Every now and then shadows would pass by his tent flap but never for very long. He doubted he would have any visitors that night and he was grateful for that fact. He had a lot on his mind and not very many sources he could turn to for answers. There was Raven, of course, who was no doubt knowledgeable about this world. She was certainly skilled, that much was for certain, and by the looks of the bandits she was the strongest amongst them by a fair margin. The only caveat was the fact that he suspected she would want something in return and he wasn't too eager to know what her payment would be.

He turned in his cot, his gaze falling upon his mysterious katana which had somehow been formed from an ancient power buried deep within his family line. Even now it puzzled him. The Kyuubi didn't know much about it and didn't really care to investigate it any further. The fact that it had enabled them both to survive was enough for him. Raven was a no go as well. It was obvious from their first encounter that the sword was a mystery to her as well and if there was any possibility of finding information on it outside the camp, it would require a large favor on his part. Still, he was curious, not only with where it had come from but what that strange voice he kept hearing emanating from it was.

Finally giving into his curiosity for the strange weapon, he rose from his cot to sit down on the ground and pulled the sword forward. Releasing it from its sheath, he examined the blade, looking for any slight detail as to its origins or construction. He was disappointed to find a blunt and somewhat rusted blade. It obviously hadn't seen a whetstone in quite some time and looked more like an antique that someone would have on display in their home rather than strapped to their waist. Still, despite his initial opinion, he could feel a faint energy emanating from it. It somehow felt alive which should have been impossible. Of course, given Naruto's life, the world he'd come from, and the journey he'd taken to get to this one, calling something impossible was rather careless. It was then, almost by instinct, that he felt the urge to meditate with the blade cradled in his hands.

Following his instincts, and feeling a little silly while doing it, he sat as still as possible with the blade laying in his hands. Slowly, he closed his eyes and sensed the energy flowing from the blade. Manipulating his chakra, he tried to reach out to it, looking for a means to interact with it. It didn't take long for it to react and not in the manner he had expected. The energy latched onto his own, overwhelming him instantly sucking him into the blade. His vision went black as all sight and sound disappeared completely.

He awoke to an icy world covered in snow as far as the eye could see. Despite the low temperatures, Naruto didn't feel cold in the slightest. The snow beneath his feet was soft and powdery, not at all what he would have expected. This, of course, didn't steal his attention for long as he felt a presence there in the world with him. Slowly turning around, Naruto gazed up into the face of an immense dragon. It was unlike anything he'd seen. It was massive, a creature that appeared to have been carved entirely from ice. The details were quite intricate, down to the eyes that seemed to be glowing and the breath that came out in small clouds from its nostrils. It was also floating in the air, a detail that had taken him by surprise, as it stared intently down at him.

"Uh, hello?" he said.

"**So, you're the latest Shinigami, hmm? We'll, you're not very impressive but I suppose you'll do,**" the creature said.

"Uhh, thanks, I think? My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"**I am Hyorinmaru, the Frost Dragon. I am the Shikai of the sword you now wield, Uzumaki Naruto.**"

"Alright, um, question. What's a Shikai?"

"**A Shikai is a powerful spirit which takes the form of a katana that all Shinigami wield. We vary in power and abilities of which I am the most powerful ice spirit. Although, you should already know all of this, young Shinigami. It is basic knowledge that should have been taught to you while at the Soul Society.**"

"The Soul Society? This place is the Soul Society?"

"**Of course not! You're in a bandit camp, even I can see that,**" the Dragon said loudly, obviously irritated for some unknown reason. After a moment's pause it leaned down, looking Naruto square in the eye before it asked, "**you are not a Shinigami, are you?**"

"Well, I've no idea what that is but I am a shinobi."

"**What!? A shinobi!**" the Dragon bellowed in an outrage. "**How can this be? What a disgrace, to have been stolen from my Shinigami by a mere shinobi! Such a thing is unthinkable!**"

"Hey, I'm not that bad. Sure, I was last in my class but I did manage to graduate. Plus, I came up my own jutsu. I call it the sexy no- "

"**I don't care about such drivel!**" The dragon roared, turning on Naruto. "**I demand to know how such a disgrace could have happened! Tell me, what have you done with my Shinigami?**"

"I keep trying to tell you, I have no clue what you're talking about. Listen, let me explain how I got here and maybe we can figure out what happened."

Naruto then began to recount the long and tedious story of the events that had led up to him being transported to this world with Hyorinmaru along for the ride. Despite his initial outburst the dragon listened intently, never making a sound. Naruto was grateful for that at least. It was difficult enough to have the spirit of a Demon Fox living inside of him and now to have a giant frost dragon living inside a sword was starting to give him a headache. Once he was finished he waited for his new companion to speak. He was silent for a while before he finally answered.

"**So, it appears you have Shinigami blood running through your veins. How interesting. That would explain how you were able to summon me and even now communicate with me.**"

"I guess. This is all kind of new to me so I'm having a difficult time wrapping my head around it."

"**No doubt you are. You mentioned you share your body with a Kyuubi, correct?**"

"Yes, but he's not much for conversation. Honestly, I can't stand the guy myself."

"**Well then, let's see if we can't rectify the situation.**"

Puzzled, Naruto stared up at the Dragon, wondering what he meant. A few moments later a strong wind began spiraling into a whirlwind right behind him. The wind grew more fierce and, while it wasn't cold, Naruto still had to cover his eyes just to be able to see what was happening. All at once the image of the Nine Tailed Fox came into view, standing on all fours and looking pissed beyond belief. Naruto yelped in surprise but soon found he had no reason to as several long chains made from ice coiled themselves around the Kyuubi's legs, body, and neck, pinning it in place.

"**Kyuubi, welcome, my name is Hyorinmaru and this is my realm.**"

"**Like I give a damn! Why did you summon me here?**" the fox roared as it struggled against its restraints.

"**Uzumaki Naruto informed me that is by your power I was summoned in order to help you two escape the realm of beginnings and endings.**"

The Kyuubi snarled and glared down at Naruto. While the restraints that held him looked strong, Naruto couldn't help the cold shiver that ran down his back. If looks could kill then the Kyuubi's would have torn him to shreds.

"**I did. We were in a desperate situation and I had to do something to help us survive. If you're mad then take it out on the kid. He's the one I had to summon you from.**"

"**On the contrary, I summoned you here to offer you my thanks.**"

"**Huh?**"

"What?"

Naruto and the Fox exchanged looks before looking back at Hyorinmaru.

"**Uh, you're welcome?**" the Kyuubi answered, uncertain, no longer struggling against the chains that bound him.

"**Indeed. Thanks to your intervention I was awoken from my long slumber. It seems much has changed since I was last awake. Regardless, despite the change in scenery, it is nice to be of use again, even if it means working alongside a most unimpressive child,**" he said, gazing down at Naruto.

"Hey," Naruto said in an indignant tone.

"**The feelings mutual,**" the Kyuubi replied.

"Hey!"

"**Kyuubi, might I ask you your name?**"

"**My master, the one who created me, gave me the name of Kurama.**"

"**I see. Then brother Kurama, it seems we have a long road ahead of us. I've no doubt you desire to return to your world as does the boy.**"

"**I honestly couldn't care. I'm stuck with the brat for now so wherever he goes, I go.**"

"**Indeed. Given our current situation we can't stay here forever. This world is strange to me just as much as it is to you. I would therefore like to offer a suggestion.**"

"I**'m listening.**"

"**We work together to teach this boy what knowledge we possess. I'll help him to unlock his latent Shinigami powers and you assist him in becoming a more competent Shinobi. In time, once he's gained a great deal more power within himself, we may be able to combine our abilities and return ourselves to our homes.**"

"**Sounds good to me,**" Kurama said.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Naruto asked.

"**Do you have any objections?**" Hyorinmaru asked.

"Well, no, not really. I just don't like being left out of the conversation."

"**I see. Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, it seems fate has brought us together. From this day onward you and I shall be partners. I will teach everything you will need to know to become a competent Shinigami. Once we have finished here simply hold my blade and say "Rise above the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru" and my full power shall be unlocked. It will enable me to instruct you without the need of this realm.**"

"Alright, no sweat."

"**Very well, I look forward to training you, Uzumaki Naruto.**"

Almost immediately Naruto found himself back in his tent, clutching the blunted katana in his hands. While he'd spent a good amount of time speaking with Hyorinmaru it seemed as if very little time had passed in this world. For a moment he wondered if he had simply dreamed it all but the faint pulse of energy coming from the blade made him think otherwise. Slowly, rising to his feet, Naruto gripped the sword by the hilt as he held it out in front of him.

"Rise above the Frosted Heavens, Hyorinmaru."

All at once a cold rush of air erupted out of the tent and into the night. The katana changed immediately, shifting its appearance to nearly the opposite of what it had been before. The blade was now razor sharp and shone brilliantly despite the low light seeping into his tent. The Four star cross guard now had an overlapping cross guard, giving it eight points in total and a long thin chain ran from the swords hilt down to a small crescent moon shaped blade that hung at the end. The sword now pulsed with energy, filling Naruto with a sensation he'd never experienced before. For a moment he starred at the blade, stunned, before a smile grew across his face. Things were about to get very interesting.


	2. Chapter 2: Journey and Conflict

**Three Years Later…**

**Mistral – Outside the Bandit Camp**

"**Now concentrate. Focus the energy at the soles of your feet. This will enable you to walk on air as if it were solid ground,**" Hyorinmaru, the Frost Dragon which inhabited the Katana Naruto had somehow acquired three years ago instructed.

Three years ago, Naruto clashed with his best friend and Rival Uchiha Sasuke in an attempt to bring him back to their village and keep a promise he'd made to his long time crush Sakura. Unfortunately, he'd failed but in a manner that had come with some unexpected consequences. Thrown from his world due to the energy blast from his Rasengun and Sasuke's Chidori colliding, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox which inhabited his body had done everything in its power to save them from being torn from existence, more so to save itself than Naruto. He'd succeeded, sending them to the world of Remnant and unlocking an ancient power buried deep within Naruto, one which his ancestors had wielded long ago.

While Kurama's (which Naruto later learned was the Kyuubi's name) actions had saved them, it had brought along with it a whole plethora of other headaches as well. The most pressing of which was the fact that he was now stuck in a foreign world, one which he knew nothing about, and had no apparent way of returning home to fulfill his promise. The other was the discovery that the Katana he'd somehow been found holding contained the spirit of a Frost Dragon named Hyorinmaru, who was just as, if not more so, annoying as Kurama. While he'd found it disturbing enough to have one alien voice in his head, having another was just ludicrous. It also never helped when the two agreed with one another, often times tag teaming on Naruto to beret him when he failed during his training. Needless to say, it had been a long three years.

On top of all this was the fact that Naruto had been discovered by a tribe of bandits who had made their home deep within the forests of a country called Mistral. Their leader, a woman by the name of Raven Branwen, was a complete mystery to him. While she appeared confident and straight forward, in other ways she was mysterious, standoffish, and a complete unknown to him. Both Kurama and Hyorinmaru had warned him about her, telling him that they sensed a great power dwelling within her but were unable to elaborate on it further without seeing it for themselves. Considering just how powerful both entities that lived within him were, he wasn't in any rush to push Raven to the point of showcasing for him the power that dwelled just beneath the surface of her cocky grin.

The bandits, as Naruto would come to find, had a simple life and live by a simple code. "The weak die, the strong survive." By their interpretation, that meant anyone they could steal from, overpower, or extort was considered "weak" and they themselves "strong" as a result. Naruto obviously scoffed at this, having a far different interpretation of the saying altogether but, considering they had saved his life and that he would be living with them until he had a good gage on his powers and the world as a whole, he went along with their philosophy, participating in raids and even traveling with them to nearby villages to extort money and supplies from the locals. While he did "participate" he never caused any physical harm to their victims and always endeavored to ensure they walked away without having to draw any blood. The toned down violence seemed to irritate the other bandits but, because Raven didn't have a problem with it, none of them did anything else to alleviate their frustrations…yet.

Now, three years later, Naruto was doing his best to learn everything he'd need in order to master his new "Soul Reaper" powers. At least, that was what Hyorinmaru had called them. In truth he had a very limited access to his powers. Apart from being able to call upon Hyorinmaru and use his powers associated with his sword, much of the abilities that a Soul Reaper would have had access to were beyond his abilities simply due to the fact that he was still living and now, well, dead. Still, he had managed to learn Zanjutsu, Hoho, and Hakuda, mastering all of them due to the fact that he had been raised in a Shinobi village and taught Taijutsu as part of his curriculum. His Shunpo needed work but, considering he was able to travel through the trees with relative ease it didn't really necessitate he master it any time soon. Of course now he was attempting to master one of the more fundamental techniques most Soul Reapers knew and his attempts were, well, unsatisfactory to say the least.

"Umpf!" Naruto grunted loudly as he once again kissed the ground.

"**Concentrate**," Hyorinmaru said in a disappointed tone.

"I am, you overgrown snow lizard, but it's more difficult than you make it out to be," Naruto argued.

"**It shouldn't be. Every Soul Reaper is capable of performing this technique to the point that they are capable of doing it without thinking. This is imperative during battle when most of their attention is focused on the enemy and they must maintain their footing throughout.**"

"I know that but, unless you've forgotten recently, I'm not a Soul Reaper. I'm a shinobi and I don't exactly seen myself fighting Hallows anytime soon," he shot back.

"**No but your new life here has brought with it new enemies in the form of the Grimm, many of which are capable of flight. Mastering this technique will go a long way to helping you combat them even while they are airborne.**"

"Maybe, but I can just use your ice attacks to freeze their wings and ground them. Why fight them on their own turf when I can bring them down to my level," he pointed out.

"**Understand, Naruto, my powers are not meant for you to rely on. They are meant to help facilitate your own abilities, adding to what is already there, and increasing your power. To rely on me would put you at a great disadvantage, especially should you meet an enemy who is either immune to my abilities or can overcome them with ease. My powers are not a crutch for you to lean on.**"

"I understand that, Hyorinmaru, but you need to understand that I can't do everything you require of me. You keep referencing Soul Reapers like I'm one of them but I'm not. I'm still very much alive and I expect to remain so for quite some time. Knowing that, there are going to be some setbacks to my abilities, regardless of whether you think I should be able to perform them or not."

"**So you say but, living or not, you should be capable of mastering this technique without much setback. Your continued failures is becoming increasingly worrisome.**"

"Yea, about that, I think I know why it's happening. Just Focus on me while I try it again and see if you can sense what I'm sensing."

"**Very well**."

Centering himself, Naruto once more began focusing the energy beneath his feet, preparing himself for another attempt. When he had started out he had envisioned it in much the same way he'd performed his training with Kakashi Sensei while learning to climb trees. Back then Sakura had mastered it with ease, instructing him to focus the chakra at the souls of his feet to help him gain a better grip on the tree's trunk. He'd learned to do the same thing a year later but with walking on water, using his chakra to instead repel him, essentially pushing on the water as he walked across the surface. The same thing seemed to apply here but Naruto soon found himself losing concentration or feeling the energy dissipate outright despite his efforts. True to his word, Hyorinmaru watched as the boy began to focus, the energy beginning to surround the souls of his feet as he prepared to walk on air. He managed to get a few feet in the air before the reishi completely dissipated through no effort of the boy's and sent him tumbling back to the ground. Luckily, Naruto was ready and caught himself before he face planted on the ground once more.

"**I see now. Very interesting,**" Hyorinmaru murmured.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, both curious and eager to find out what was preventing him from mastering the technique.

"**Naruto, you are correct in stating that it's through no fault of your own that the technique is failing. In truth, it's due to certain energies within you that are not melding well with one another that is causing the problem.**"

"I'm not sure I understand," Naruto admitted.

"**Allow me to explain. In your world the people there are able to perform certain techniques called Ninjutsu and Genjutsu through an inherent power you all have called chakra.**"

"Yea, that's a given."

"**Usually, you're people are born with Chakra that is unique to you, ensuring you are able to perform these techniques through training and time. You, on the other hand, were born with your own chakra as wells as the Kyuubi's.**"

"Yea, made for a rough going my first few years. Our chakra had a way of clashing with one another."

"**Indeed. As opposing forces they nullified one another, often causing problems, though in some cases the Kyuubi's chakra would envelope you completely, giving you immense power but at the cost of your sanity and, in some cases, life force. However, once you learn to harmonize your chakra you will undoubtedly be able to increase the power of your abilities tenfold, making you a force to be reckoned with.**"

"Huh, I never thought of that. But what does that have to do with why I'm completely failing at walking on air?"

"**I was about to explain that now hush,**" Hyorinmaru chided him. "**The energy I use called Reishi is fundamentally different from Chakra. While it is something that is naturally occurring, it is an energy that is exclusively used by the dead, by Soul Reapers, and thus not typically utilized by the living. Were you to die and become a Soul Reaper you would no doubt be able to master our various techniques but it would come at a cost. You would no longer be able to perform Jutsu of any kind. Chakra is, as far as I can tell, an energy exclusively used by a living vessel. It's not something that naturally occurs in the Soul Society.**

**It's because of its natural occurrence that your techniques are being hindered and, in some cases, outright fail. Your Chakra is classing with the Reishi, much in the way that fire and water would clash and cancel each other out. Every time you attempt this technique the Reishi you produce melds with your Chakra, vying for control, until they ultimately cancel one another out and the technique fails.**"

"Oh, I see," Naruto said, understanding somewhat what Hyorinmaru was explaining to him. "So, is this simply a problem that I'm going to have to live with?"

"**Perhaps, though, ****once you unlock your Bankai the problem may disappear completely,**" Hyorinmaru suggested.

"Oh? What's a Bankai?"

"**A Bankai is the second form, one which unlocks incredible power within the user. It essentially takes on the form of one's Soul, giving you access to limitless amounts of Reishi and enabling you to access powerful techniques that were otherwise locked to your before. Think of it in the same way you might become more powerful should you and Kurama finally manage to stop squabbling and work together, merging your Chakra as one.**"

"That's sounds awesome. When do I unlock my Bankai?"

"**Well, most Soul Reapers unlock their Bankai after a century of dedicated training.**"

"What!? A century! I don't have that kind of time!"

"**Relax, Naruto, I have faith in you. You've taken to this training better than most and, considering just how deeply connected you and I are to one another, you may be closer to unlocking your Bankai than we realize.**"

"Oh, well, that's good to hear," Naruto said, calming down a bit.

"**That said, in will take no less commitment to your training in order to unlock and there may even be some… complications upon gaining access to it.**"

"Complications? Like what?"

"**Recall how I said your Chakra and the Reishi were opposing forces?**"

"Yea," Naruto replied.

"**Just as the Bankai unlocks a vast amount of Reishi, your Chakra or that of the Kyuubi's may rush in to oppose it as a result. In other words, while you may be able to unlock this power and perform all of the techniques of a Soul Reaper without fail, it may also lead to the two energy forces opposing one another in a most violent fashion.**"

"What do you by that?" Naruto asked nervously.

"**The opposing forces could cause a massive explosion the likes of which would no doubt kill you, including your soul.**"

"What!?" Naruto yelped, imagining himself blowing up like a balloon before exploding violently.

"**That is only a theory, Naruto. We won't know for sure until you unlock your Bankai,**" Hyorinmaru replied.

"Yea, great," Naruto said, not at all reassured by that information.

"Naruto, stop talking to yourself for a moment. I have a mission for you," Raven said, stepping out from the tree line.

"I wasn't talking to myself, I was speaking with Hyorinmaru," Naruto explained.

"Right, that's the name you gave your Katana," she said, glancing down the sword he held in his hand. "I named mine too. Its call Slashy McStabber, though I don't often talk to it out in the open like some of us," she said with a cheeky grin.

"I wasn't… huh, what do you want?" he asked, realizing there was no use in trying to convince her otherwise.

"I'm sending some of the boys into the nearby village to raid supplies. I want you to go along with them."

"To make sure they don't do anything stupid," Naruto finished for her.

"Pretty much. They're leaving soon so you better get a move on."

"Right," he said, stowing his Katana back in its sheath. "Raven, when I get back, there's something we need to discuss."

"Sure, I'll make some room in my schedule," she said sarcastically.

Naruto rolled his eyes, ignoring her chuckling as he made his way back to the camp.

/-/

"Come on, old man, I know you're holding out on us," the bandit said, the edge of his blade tickling the bartender and proprietor of the inn.

"Please, that's all I can spare. Anything more and we'll having nothing to help us get through the next month, let alone the year," the man said, trembling as his eyes flickered between the blade and its owner.

"That's a real shame. Not that I care. But, if you can't part with your merchandise," he said, his eyes roving over the young woman standing next to him, a girl barely eighteen with short brown hair and blue eyes, "perhaps we can come to another arrangement?" the bandit said with a cruel smile.

"No, please, not my daughter. I'll give you whatever you want just don't harm her," the man pleaded.

"Who said anything about harming her? I was thinking of showing her a good time," he said, the girl flinching away as he moved to touch her hair.

"That's enough," Naruto said, grabbing the bandit's wrist as he bore holes into the side of his skull. "We have more than enough supplies, we don't need the rest."

"Hey, I'm in charge of this raid, I'll decide if we have enough," the bandit argued, his eyes turning to thin slits as he gazed at Naruto.

"And I was sent to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Again," Naruto hissed.

"You know, ever since you were brought to the tribe you've had a nasty habit of acting out. I've seen the way you look at us. You think you're better than the rest of the members of our tribe. Even the casual way you talk to Raven. It makes me want to puke," the man spat, turning his blade on him.

"You don't want to do this," Naruto warned him.

"Ha, what are you doing to do? You going to whip out that Katana of yours, pretty boy?" he mocked.

"I won't need it to handle you," Naruto replied.

The bandit sneered, glaring at Naruto for a moment, before he roared and raised the blade over his head. He swung wildly at him, his fellow bandits moving out of the way to avoid being hit while the bartender moved to shield his daughter from any attacks that came their way. Naruto swam around the attacks with ease, his moves being telegraphed before he struck. At a certain point when the blade came down Naruto took hold of his hand, twisting his wrist and forcing him to drop his blade before elbowing him in the face. He heard a satisfying crunch as he broke his nose, causing the man to stumble backwards in surprise. While he was stunned Naruto punched him in the gut, causing him to double over before slamming a fist into the back of his head. Being one of the few bandits with his aura unlocked, he was sparred lethal damage but was nonetheless knocked unconscious.

"Pick him up and take him back to camp," he instructed to the other bandits.

They glared balefully at him but otherwise did as they were told, picking up their friend before hauling him out of the inn. Naruto took his bag, sifting through the contents before throwing it at the Inn keeper's feet. The man was startled, glancing between the bag and Naruto with a look of confusion.

"That's yours, I believe. We have what we need. I won't be taking anything else," he said.

The man simply nodded, grateful but unable to say anything. Naruto returned his nod before exiting the building and following after the others. No doubt they'd be spinning a tale to Raven about what he'd done. It was just as well. They needed to speak anyways.

/-/

"So, let me get this straight, you attacked one of my lieutenants, breaking his nose and knocking him out before departing the settlement with our supplies," Raven recounted.

"I was defending myself. He attacked me first," Naruto corrected

"What does it matter? He made us look weak in front of the locals," the bandit argued, his nose bandaged and making his voice sound nasally as a result.

"That is true. Your actions could send a bad message to the villagers. This infighting may encourage them to start rebelling against us or even seek to hire a huntsman."

"His actions would have caused that regardless. We had everything we needed. He got greedy and when the man argued with him, saying they wouldn't have enough to survive, he went after his daughter instead," Naruto pointed out.

"It was simply an incentive, a lesson to teach them not to question us," the bandit stated.

"I've heard enough," Raven said, raising her arm for silence. "I know what we need to do," she said as she approached Naruto.

The bandit with the broken nose watched eagerly, a greasy smirk spreading across his face as he watched with anticipation for Naruto to get his just rewards. He was unprepared for the backhanded slap that Raven gave him, sending him toppling across the ground. Off to the side Vernal watched and chuckled softly to herself, feeling some sort of sick amusement at the man's plight.

"You idiot. This is exactly why I sent Naruto along with you," she said, towering over the man as her cowered on the ground, clutching his bruised cheek. "When I send you on supply runs it's to get supplies that we need or are running low on, not to indulge your personal greed or lusts. You know what would have happened had we taken everything from that village? They would have either moved on or been overtaken by the Grimm. That leaves us with one less village to get our supplies from which puts more pressure on us as a result. If we did that to every village we came across we'd have to pack up and leave, either because there was nothing left for us to take or because our actions were beginning to attract the attention of the huntsmen academies.

This was your last chance to show me you could be trusted but it's obvious you can't. Get out of my tent. I'll come up with a suitable punishment for you later," Raven snarled.

Still shaken, the bandit slunk from the tent, shooting a glare in Naruto's direction as he departed. Raven spat on the ground, obviously upset with the man, but otherwise done with him for now.

"You did well, Naruto. I was right to send you with him," she mused.

"Raven, we need to talk," Naruto said, getting straight to the point.

"Of course. Vernal, prepare some tea for us," she instructed.

Vernal did as she was instructed, Raven and Naruto taking seats at her small table while they waited. Raven's face maintained a pleased smirk on it while Naruto's was more serious as he contemplated what he would need to speak with her about. As soon as Vernal had poured them both a cup (from part of the supplies they'd stolen no less) she quickly exited the tent, attending to some of her other duties.

"So," she began, taking a sip of her tea, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I'm leaving," he said flatly.

Raven stopped, her cup inches from her lips. Slowly she lowered it back down to the table, her amused expression from earlier having completely disappeared.

"You're leaving," she repeated, her expression neutral as she looked at him.

"Yes, I've decided it's time I start traveling Remnant. I have a promise to keep, after all, and I can't do that sitting around here."

"I see," she said, taking a moment to consider her next words. "You don't have to leave, you know. Your strong, if not a little strange. You could do well with us, make us stronger."

"I've never been welcomed here, Raven. Aside from you, the rest of the tribe simply tolerates my presence. They don't accept me as one of their own."

"I could change that," she said.

"I don't want you to," he replied. "I'm leaving and there's nothing you can say to keep me here."

"I see," she said again. "When can I expect your departure?"

"Tomorrow morning. I've already gathered the necessary supplies."

"Where will you going then?"

"Mistral first. I'll figure out my next destination from there."

"Very well then. I'd wish you the best but that's never been my style. If you ever decide to come back, though, I wouldn't say no to having you with us again," she said with a smirk.

"We both know that won't happen," Naruto said, standing up to leave.

"We'll see," Raven said, watching him depart her tent.

/-/

"**You sure about this kid? There's no turning back from here,**" Kurama, the Nine Tailed Fox Demon asked him.

"It's either stay here for the rest of my life or start walking and searching for a way back home. Which would you choose?"

"**Fair enough, though I hope you realize this journey of your will not be easy. Regardless of the amount of literature Raven gave you access to, there's a great difference between reading about a world and experiencing it.**"

"I know and that's why I can't wait to get out there."

/-/

Several weeks passed for Naruto as he traveled through Mistral. From where the Branwen tribe had been situated, it took him nearly a week to make his way to the capital city of Mistral where the Huntsman Academy of Haven was situated. Naruto had heard a great deal about the academies, mostly in words filled with distain from either Raven or the bandits. Raven rarely ever spoke about her time spent at the one called Beacon. He wondered what had occurred in her history to cause such distain for that in her view but he'd never ventured to ask, mostly because he knew it would come at her sword pressed to his throat as a warning.

He managed to make some lien along the way, helping to eradicate Grimm villages were being attacked by and the like. His skills with Hyorinmaru had improved to such a degree that he was able to use his abilities without much effort though his attempts to walk on air still ended with him kissing the ground after only a few seconds. Still, it was better than nothing and before long Naruto found himself on a train bound for Argus, a city off the Mistral Northern coastline where he would have the chance to travel by airship to the continent of Mantel where the floating city of Atlas and its huntsman academy were housed. Naruto had read a little about Atlas, mainly about its harsh climate and its hand in aiding Mistral during the Great War nearly eighty odd years ago. Since then, after the discovery of several Dust mines, it had risen to become one of the foremost producers of Dust powered machines and boasting the largest army on Remnant, one which was comprised mostly of synthetic automatons.

Currently he dressed in some warmer clothing with closed toed shoes as well to keep his toes from freezing off. He'd been alone for most of the journey, occasionally making acquaintances along the way, but otherwise not fostering any long lasting relationships. He didn't know how long or how far his journey would take him and as such he was unsure of if or when he'd have a chance to set down roots. All he knew was that his journey had him going to Argus, to Mantle, simply because his instincts told him to head there.

"Is this seat taken?"

Naruto tore his eyes from his window view to see who had spoken to him. At first he thought he was just hearing things until the woman cleared her throat, drawing his attention closer to the floor. He was surprised to see a woman, short enough to reach barely to his waist, with tan skin, long braided white hair in a ponytail, and strangely oversized goggles set over her eyes. The goggles seemed to work in the same way as glasses as he watched metal shutters open and close as if her eyes were adjusting to the light or himself. Her clothes were quite interesting, certainly different from anything he'd seen while in Mistral. The one thing that stuck out to him the most was her walking stick which sported a large skull on top, intricately colored in an elaborate pattern.

"Not at all. Go ahead," he replied, motioning to the seat opposite him.

"Thank you young man," she said, hobbling into the car before pulling herself up onto the seat.

Naruto returned to gazing out the window, all the while feeling like the woman's eyes were set on him. A quick glance over showed that they were indeed, though whether her eyes were truly on him or simply her odd looking goggles, he couldn't say. Still, having them on him was a bit unsettling and was making him feel increasingly uncomfortable.

"I'm Naruto. Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself, attempting to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"Maria Calavera, wonderful to meet you young man," she replied.

"Where are you headed, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all. I'm on my way to Atlas. I have to make an annual trip every year to have my eyes adjusted," she said, tapping her goggles.

"Your eyes? I'm sorry, I hadn't realized," he said, a little embarrassed.

"Don't be. Part of the hazards of spending most of my life as a Huntress. Unfortunately, one bad mission cost me my eyes and I've been wearing these ever since."

"That is unfortunate. Still, it could be worse," he said, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Yes, assuming Cordovin isn't there."

"Cordovin?" he asked.

"Yes, she's the commander of the Atlas base at Argus as well as my personal enemy. I bring one bag of cashews onto a flight and suddenly she finds it necessary to place me on an extended screening list," she complained.

"Oh, that's… unfortunate," Naruto said, attempting to sound sympathetic.

The rest of the trip was mostly spent in silence with Naruto gazing out the window at the snow laden landscape while Maria seemed to have fallen asleep. Before long he arrived at his destination, a large modernized town set on the coast. Naruto gazed around at the architecture with wonder. While Naruto had spent some time in Mistral, Argus was a different beast altogether. The blend of Atlisian and Mistralian architecture somehow managed to mesh as well as clash in ways that made sense to the city itself. It didn't take him much time to find his way down the Atlas base. The damn thing stood out like a sore thumb looking like a giant boot sitting in the middle of the bay. Large gates prevented anyone from venturing onto the base without permission, authorization, or a specific reason for being there.

Naruto, at the very least, had a good reason for coming. Slipping into the line meant for those taking an airship overseas, he waited until he was motioned to step forward and have his bags checked by the security personnel. Two large men, with their faces mostly obscured by their hats, stepped forwards to inspect his belongings. Naruto gazed up at them, wondering if they were there to impose some sort of intimidation over anyone who might think of causing trouble. All it did was cause Naruto to try and stifle the laugh he had at how comical the two of them looked and acted.

"Sir, you'll need to check that sword," one of them said, motioning to the Katana strapped to Naruto's hip.

"Uh, sorry, can't. It's a family heirloom. Wouldn't want it getting damaged during the flight," he lied.

"Unacceptable. Our commander has instructed that all weapons are to be checked on the airship, no acceptations," his twin chimed in.

Naruto cringed, not quite sure how he was going to get out of this. He's learned from Hyorinmaru that he was very particular about who handled him with his "attack" against the bandit who had tried to steel him being one such example. He could talk with him and try to get him to let the guards take him, at least for the flight, but he doubted the Frost Dragon would be very accommodating.

"Look guys, seriously, I have to have this on my person at all times," he said, placing a protective hand on the weapon.

"What's going on here?" A shrill voice called out.

At the sound of the voice the two guards stood erect, their hands coming up in a salute. Naruto looked at them curiously before looking towards the tiny woman who was making her way over to them. Naruto was having a bad case of deja vu as he gazed down at her. She was a tiny woman, dressed in an Atlas military uniform with Commander Officer Insignia pinned to her lapel. Her hair was grey and cut short, probably due to regulations and her expression was neutral, bordering on board. She approached them, the two men holding their salutes until she gave them a nod, allowing them to relax which he assumed they did, though their stature didn't change.

"What's going on here? Why hasn't that man's weapon been checked?"

"Commander Cordovin, he refuses to relinquish his weapon," one of the soldiers replied.

"I think this is all just a misunderstanding," he began but was interrupted by their commander.

"There is no misunderstanding. I ordered all weapons to be checked with no exceptions and you are disobeying that protocol. Either check your weapon or I will have you removed from the premises," she said sharply.

Naruto's warm smile quickly died as he realized there was no negotiating with this woman. He took a moment to consider his options, wondering how he might explain his weapon "attacking" one of her men when they went to handle it or if it would be better to leave and attempt to get to Atlas through some other means. It seemed he was taking too long as Cordovin looked to have made up her own mind but he was quickly rescued by the most unlikely of allies.

"There you are. You should have told me you were checking early. Sorry to keep you waiting, Cordovin's extended screening policy is a nightmare to get through. Gods curse that bitch," Maria said, hobbling up to Naruto as he starred down at her with a confused expression.

Maria seemed not to notice as she starred up at him with that warm, comforting smile all grandmothers seemed to have mastered before turning her gaze on a now scowling Cordovin.

"Oh, speak of the devil and she shall appear. I'm surprised I didn't smell any sulfur or brimstone that typically warns of your arrival, Cordovin," she said.

"Maria Calavera. I take it you know this miscreant?" she asked, motioning to Naruto.

"Of course I do. He's my grandson," she replied matter-of-factly.

Naruto's confused look deepened, wondering what the woman was getting at by stating something that was obviously a lie.

"Grandson?" Cordovin said, looking between him and Maria in an attempt to pick out the resemblance.

Or maybe the lie was just obvious to him?

"Yep, family lives out in Vacuo. Came out here to train in preparation for his initiation at Shade next year. I was helping him to hone his skills and he's offered to escort me to my eye appointment," she replied, tapping her goggles for emphasis.

"I see," she said, glancing up at Naruto with a renewed look of distain. "Regardless of his heritage, the boy still needs to check his weapon. No exceptions."

"Can't do that," Maria said.

"And why not?" Cordovin countered.

"It's part of his training. The sword is a family heirloom, going all the way back to the days of the Great War. Lot of history in it. Wouldn't want one of your boys fumbling and chipping it now would we?" she asked.

"I can assure you my men are extremely competent and will endeavor to ensure the weapon arrives at its destination unharmed."

"So you say but I've heard reports of higher Grimm sightings all along our route," Maria said, raising her voice so that the other passengers could hear her. "Would be a shame if we were attacked by some Nevermore or Lancers and the only huntsman trained passenger was unable to help because Atlas policy required he check his weapon."

Cordovin cringed as she heard the hushed and frantic whispers of the other passengers, their panic already spelling bad news for the flight.

"I can assure you all Atlas is more than equipped to handle any Grimm threat we might encounter along our route," Cordovin said, attempting to calm them down.

"Would you bet your life on it?" Maria challenged, dividing the crowd and putting Cordovin in a bad spot.

"Let him through," she said, waving her hand.

"But ma'am," one of her men attempted to argue.

"Are you questioning my orders?" she snapped.

"No commander," he said, snapping a salute before quickly closing up Naruto's luggage. "You're clear to board sir. Have a nice flight."

Naruto nodded his affirmation before grabbing his luggage and making his way towards the airship, slowing his pace so Maria could keep up with him and maintain the guise of them being family. As soon as they had boarded he stowed his luggage under his seat while keeping his hands on his Katana. As soon as Maria had pulled herself up on her seat he leaned over to whisper to her discreetly.

"Grandson, huh?"

"Would you have preferred I'd designated you as my lover?" she asked.

Naruto shivered, hearing a chuckle from Maria in response.

"Cordovin has always had Atlas policy wedged up her butt. I knew she wasn't going to budge unless I intervened. You're welcome, by the way."

"Yes, thank you, I owe you one for that," he replied.

"Think nothing of it," she said, waving it off. "That sword's important to you, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yea, you might say it has a mind of its own," he replied, glancing down at Hyorinmaru.

"I know what you mean. I guess it's something unique to the Huntsman culture but, once you've worked with a weapon for a time, you start to think of them less as a tool and more of a person, like they have a personality all their own to go along with their history."

"I know what you mean," Naruto agreed. "I do have one question, though. Why help me? You had no reason to so why step in?"

"You mean aside from ruffle Cordovin's feathers a bit?" she asked, with Naruto nodding back in affirmation. "I like you, kid. It's part of the reason I choose to share a train car with you. I took one look at you and knew you were someone I'd take a shine to."

"Just from a look?" he asked, not at all convinced.

"Of course. Why not?" she said, giving him her signature grandmotherly smile.

/-/

**Mantle – Tundra trading port**

It was several hours before the airship landed safely at their destination. Despite the tense atmosphere, courtesy of Maria, they didn't encounter any Grimm along the way. This would have been a blessing in Naruto's books were in not for the woman sitting next to him. All attempts he'd made to try and sleep were interrupted by her either telling him one her many stories regarding her and her ever evolving conflict with Cordovin or the simple fact that she had once again snuck a bag of cashews on board the airship (how she had managed that, he honestly didn't want to know) and, being her "grandson," was required to somehow get her out of the situation. Once they landed, however, Naruto offered her a quick goodbye before grabbing his luggage and making a beeline for his hotel. The sooner they parted ways the better.

After a hot meal and a warm shower, he settled himself down to sleep. Being along the coast of Mantle, the sky had already turned dark, making it relatively easy to fall asleep. He must have dozed off at some point, Hyorinmaru clutched to his chest, when a shrill blaring sound from outside roused him from his sleep. Naruto snorted, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he stumbled towards the frost covered windows. Outside he could see people leaving the buildings, heading towards what looked to be a large bunker. Large flood lights along the wall light up the night, passing over the frozen open tundra in search of something.

"What the hell's going on?" he grumbled.

"**Naruto, you better get out there. I can sense something coming,**" he heard Kurama reply.

"What do you mean something?" he asked, suddenly awake and alert.

"**Grimm, from what I can sense. A lot of them too. There's something else but I can't quite figure out what it is.**"

He didn't need to be told twice, quickly slipping on his warmer clothing before racing outside. As people ran past him towards the bunker, Naruto moved in the opposite direction, climbing the wall so he had a better view of what was coming. It was difficult to tell at first but slowly a black mass began making its way towards the village. Large catlike Grimm, with long bone teeth protruding down past their lower lips and an inch or two further, padded quickly across the frozen ground.

Already, large automated guns atop the wall had sprung to life, their erratic movements causing the ice and snow that had collected on them in their dormancy cascading off them as they began firing at the approaching Grimm force. The weapons were effective, mowing down countless Grimm before they even made it halfway across the open ground but there was a problem. The guns had a limited supply of ammo and the Grimm number didn't appear to be dropping anytime soon. Before long one would have to give out to the other and Naruto had a feeling it wouldn't be the Grimm.

"Hyorinmaru, can I ask you something?"

"**I take it it's in regards to the creatures assaulting our position,**" the Frost Dragon replied.

"Yea, would you be able to create a wall of ice as thick as this one and just as long? I want to give everyone here the greatest advantage and hopefully ensure anyone on their way will have more time."

"**Naruto, my abilities are the greatest of any Ice Entity. Even without water molecules present in the air, I am still capable of generating ice on a massive scale. Now, being surrounded my ice, my abilities will be without parallel. I can do what you ask and more should you require it.**"

"Alright then, let's do this," Naruto said, leaping down from the wall and racing towards the Grimm.

If anyone had yelled out to him, warning him off what he was doing, he didn't hear it. Between the roaring of the cannons and the cries of the Grimm, all other sound had been drowned out. Naruto's feet beat heavily against the frozen ground, the chilled night air ensuring the freshly fallen snow had frozen over, making it easier for the Grimm to traverse over it with their claws. Naruto was about to make it that much harder. Keeping a good distance away from the Grimm, he drew Hyorinmaru from its sheath before calling on him for aid.

"Rise over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

At his words the sword visibly changed, Naruto's body being charged with immense energy shared between himself and the frost dragon. Feeling the surge, he quickly envisioned a wall of ice several feet high and just as thick before swinging the sword in a horizontal arc. To anyone watching, the effect from his sword would have been chalked up to an expert usage of ice Dust. Light blue energy cascaded from the blade, causing a massive wall to appear before him. What few Grimm had made their way atop or past it were quickly torn to shreds by the gun turrets but none more made any attempts to climb the structure or smash their way through, a detail Naruto found rather odd.

"Hyorinmaru, I'm guessing you did something more that I'm not aware of?"

"**Indeed. In addition to the wall I lined the opposite side with icicles three to four feet thick going all the way up and running the entire length of it. They'll be hard pressed to climb it, let alone attack. Any that do will simply be wasting their time.**"

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at his explanation. It was more than what Naruto was hoping to achieve which was a good thing. So long as the Grimm were safely held at bay until Atlas forces came to mop up the rest, it was good enough for him. At the same time the turrets had ceased firing, another blessing considering that their gun fire might just punch a few holes in his wall, making it easier for the Grimm to find a way through and redouble their efforts for the assault.

Making his way back towards the wall, Naruto saw some figures standing there waiting for him. One looked to be an Atlas officer, possibly the one stationed here to watch over the town and make sure the turrets were kept in working condition. He was flanked by several white figures and as he drew closer he recognized them as Atlisian Knights, the military's signature frontline tool. Being robots and thus not real people, they were a disposable asset that Atlas used in conjunction with their regular forces, sacrificing them to the Grimm while ensuring the real flesh and blood troops remained safe from any harm. As he approached, Naruto sheathed his sword. The hand the soldier had set protectively on his weapon was lowered and he nodded as he approached.

"Nice work out there. Very impressive stuff," he said, nodding his in indication to the wall of ice.

"Just figured I'd lend a hand," Naruto replied simply.

"I'd say you did more than that. The Grimm will be held off either until they circle around or break through. Currently, I haven't received any warning signals from the turrets further down the wall so I don't think they've thought to loop around."

"Any reinforcements?" he asked.

"Yes, all the way from Atlas too. They're being led by a specialist. Makes sense considering this is a major shipping port for the SDC."

"The SDC?"

"Yea, the Schnee Dust Company. It doesn't surprise me they'd send one of their own to make sure one of their assets is handled properly."

Naruto had to agree. It made sense that a large company such as theirs which spanned the whole of Remnant would want one of its major trading ports handled by someone who was familiar with their work. He could only wonder who they were sending and what they would have to say. Maybe he could learn something from them or hitch a ride to Atlas? His thoughts were quickly cut short by the sound of something bashing against the wall. Naruto looked back along with the officer, gazing at the wall of ice. The whole of it was shaking violently and bit by bit cracks could be seen grouped in one area, growing bigger and spreading out as the thumping continued.

"Kurama?" he asked, sending his thoughts to the Fox Demon within himself.

"**It's a Grimm, a big one. I sensed it earlier but it was too far away to make out among the others. Damn thing's going to break through the ice wall and this one if we don't intervene.**"

"What the hell's going on?" the officer shouted.

"A Grimm. A big one," Naruto answered, echoing what he'd just been informed of.

"All the way out here? That's impossible! We don't get Grimm of that size all the way out here! Our turrets won't be enough to slow the damn thing down!"

"They won't have to," Naruto replied, removing Hyorinmaru from his sheath once more. "Can you program the turrets to target the small Grimm only?"

"Well, yea, just have to reset the targeting parameters. You're not thinking of taking that thing on your own, are you?"

"You have any better ideas?" Naruto asked, the officer falling silent under his gaze. "I'm not stupid enough to think I can kill it on my own. Best I'm hoping for is that I can keep it busy until our reinforcements arrive. How long until they get here?"

"About four to five minutes but that's still a long time to handle one massive Grimm on your own."

"Just keep the little ones off my back and away from the main wall. I'll handle the rest," Naruto said, racing back towards the wall before the man could try to talk him out of it.

Naruto quickly recited the chant once more, causing the sword to shift into its awakened form. The closer he moved to the wall the more Naruto felt the shockwaves from the Grimm's battering, its attacks causing the very ground beneath his feet to quake. Holding Hyorinmaru firmly in his hands, he stared across the field at the hole that was about to burst forth, prepping himself for the ensuing battle to come.

"Hyorinmaru, I'm going to be relying on your power to get me through this fight," he said.

"**That seems fairly obvious. I'll back you up as best I can. We should consider ourselves lucky that this climate works so well in conjunction with my powers.**"

"Yea, couldn't have asked for better circumstances," Naruto replied. "By the way, thanks for not chiding me or calling me foolish for going in alone. Most people would think what I'm doing to be very foolish."

"**That's because it is**," Hyorinmaru replied. "**However, your choice to stand and face your foe, despite how much weaker you maybe compared to them, shows more courage than I've seen in others, living or dead. You have my respect for that, Naruto.**"

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little bolstered by the Dragon's words. In truth he was scarred beyond belief. He had no idea what was breaking through on the other side but it had to be massive and powerful not to mention intelligent to have survived out here for so long. Gazing at the wall he could tell it was one last smack away from caving and then he would have to face off against his new opponent. Sure enough, with one last colossal smack, the ice shattered, sending snow and shards of ice in all directions. Naruto used his free hand to shield himself from the ice, Kurama's chakra kicking in to quickly heal the small cuts he received from the glass like shards.

A behemoth of a Grimm stepped forward, towering over Naruto and reaching nearly up to level with the top of his ice wall. Naruto recognized the beast instantly, having read about it from some of the books Raven had "liberated" for him during his time with her tribe. It was a Goliath, an elephant like Grimm that seldom, if ever, strayed towards cities or settlements. They weren't often seen, with most hunters going their entire career without encountering one. It was usually those who liked to venture out into the wilds who came across these behemoths, with only the most skilled ever living to tell about them, let alone bring one down.

He starred up at the massive mask of white bone, the red markings on it being the only indication he had of it having eyes. If it did, they were probably on the side of its head. The beast moved forward, shaking the ground with every step, before raising its trunk and bellowing out a long, loud trumpet. Naruto covered one of his ears with his free hand, his grip on Hyorinmaru tightening. Like a swarm of bugs billowing out from their uncovered nest, the other smaller Grimm began pouring from the wound the Goliath had made in his wall. Surprisingly they ignored him completely, instead making their way towards the town wall. To his credit, while there was now a gaping hole in the wall of ice he'd made, it still made things difficult for the rest of the Grimm, ensuring only a certain amount of them could make it through at a time and making them an easier target for the turrets to target and eliminate.

Without waiting for an invitation, Naruto sprinted forward, aiming to duck under the Grimm's legs and out of its field of vision. Unfortunately, it noticed him immediately, swinging its trunk at the ground to try and impede him. Naruto managed to dodge out of the way, ignoring the snow and ice that pelted him from the creature's attack, before sliding down between its massive legs. With Hyorinmaru clutched in his hands, he swung at the backs of its legs in an attempt to sever its tendons. Black blood flowed from the wounds but they seemed to have no effect on the creature aside from infuriating it further. It stomped at the ground, attempting to squash him like an annoying bug under its feet. Realizing that he may very well end up crushed underfoot, he quickly made his way out from under it, expecting to come out at its rear only to have the creature turn to focus him in its sights.

"**Naruto jump!**" he heard Hyorinmaru order.

He didn't need to be told twice, focusing what reishi he could muster under his feet and using it to propel himself upwards. He dodged just as the Goliath's trunk slammed onto the ground he'd occupied, with Naruto breathing a sigh of relief at having evaded its attack. Seeing an opportunity, he aimed for its back, landing on top and out of range of the creature.

"I should be safe up here," he said, taking a moment to catch his breath.

The moment didn't last long, however, as the Goliath immediately sensed his presence and began rampaging in an attempt to dislodge him. Naruto panicked, looking for anything that might help him stay on top, and finally thrust Hyorinmaru deep into its back in an effort to keep him stable. This only served to enrage the Grimm further, as it lurched back, attempting to buck him off. Despite its enormous size, its movements were still powerful enough to throw Naruto around. Bouncing around on the creature's back, he could only hold onto Hyorinmaru's hilt in desperation to remain on the beast. Unfortunately, Hyorinmaru soon dislodged from its place and he along with Naruto were sent flying onto the hard packed snow. Struggling to rise to his feet, the Goliath loomed over him, rearing back on its hind legs as it prepared to stomp him into paste.

"**Naruto, attack, now!**" Hyorinmaru shouted.

Surging to his feet, Naruto did as he was instructed, planting the blade into the giant's exposed underbelly. He felt a surge of energy travel through the sword before the creature stopped mid drop, shuttering in a manner that was quite strange. Naruto soon realized the reason why as ice burst from the creature's back and torso, inked black as it mixed with its blood. Retracting Hyorinmaru, Naruto quickly put some distance between himself and the Grimm as its massive form fell forward, gravity having taken over, and it collapsed in a heap on the ground before it began to slowly dissolve into black flakes.

"Thanks… for the… assist," Naruto panted.

"**Don't. I need you alive in order to operate in this world. It was simply a matter of circumstance.**"

"Whatever," Naruto grumbled, his words being drowned out by the sound of bullheads flying overhead.

It seemed the promised reinforcements had arrived as they flew low, using their mounted guns to slice through the remaining Grimm like swish cheese. Those that remained were quickly moped up by the wall turrets, their corpses left to dissolve out on the open tundra. Taking one last fly by to ensure they'd eliminated all of the Grimm, the bullheads changed their course for the town, landing in the open fields' just outside. Naruto began making his way back when the officer he'd met with earlier came running up to him, nearly out of breath when he finally reached him.

"That… was incredible!" the man said between pants.

"Uh, thanks?" Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. "Honestly, I only meant to slow it down. Didn't think I'd actually be able to kill the damn thing."

"Well, it was impressive enough. The specialist they sent along wishes to speak with you. Apparently, your little show out there caught her attention."

"The specialist is a woman?" Naruto asked, a bit surprised.

Naruto followed the officer out to the bullheads landing zone. Already, several Atlas soldiers along with Atlisian knights had exited the aircraft, creating a perimeter as they took stock of the damage caused by the Grimm. Among them the lone woman, who Naruto assumed was the specialist stood out. She stood erect, barking out orders with a stern expression. He weapon, a saber from what he could see, was strapped to her hip. What stuck out more, however, was her hair which blended in almost perfectly with the surrounding ice and snow.

"Specialist Schnee," the officer said, giving her a sharp salute which the woman returned with a small nod. "This is the young man who took down the Goliath."

"Uzumaki Naruto," he introduced himself, extending his hand in expectation of a handshake.

The woman starred at it, cocking an eyebrow, and leaving Naruto to wonder if he'd done something wrong but eventually took it and gave it a firm shake before he could retract it.

"Specialist Winter Schnee. Impressive work out there. Where were you trained?" she asked.

"Self-taught actually," he replied, causing the woman's eyebrow to rise higher, if it even could.

"Really? Not many Huntsman have the skill to take on a Goliath alone, let alone best one."

"I honestly didn't expect I'd be able to kill it. I was actually hoping to slow it down until you arrived to take care of it."

"A sound strategy. A bit reckless but noble nonetheless," she said, turning her gaze towards the town. "You helped to defend this town and its inhabitants. Your actions are noble enough, though my father has asked to meet with you in person. Tundra is an important trading port for my family and he wishes to meet the man who so fearlessly defended one of his assets."

"I'd be honored?" Naruto said, not quite sure if it was a good thing. "When does he want to meet with me?"

"As soon as possible. I'll give you a lift back on my personal transport. Collect your things and give them to my men, they'll take care of them for you. Once I've acquired all the evidence I need for my report, we'll be on our way to Atlas."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, not quite sure how he felt about the whole thing.

* * *

**I'm finding that as I work more and more on this particular story I've adopted, I'm coming to like it more and more. I was hoping to have the interaction between Naruto and Weiss in this chapter but I've settled for the next one. There'll be one other member from team RWBY he'll be meeting later on as well. Start taking bets on who it will be. I bet most of you won't know.**

**I hope people liked the little addition of Maria to the story. I figured adding her could add a bit of comedy to the story. Plus, it really helped when Naruto had some trouble getting past the Atlisian soldiers at the base. It would make sense to me that Maria might attempt to help someone by claiming they were a distant relative or something similar.**

**The fight between Naruto and the Grimm changed a bit. Honestly, I was going to have some interaction with the White Fang in here but as things progressed I decided against it, instead switching to a fight between him and the Goliath. It makes sense to me that the Grimm like it would be in Mantle. They could be similar to mammoths which typically were found in frozen tundra so having it there just made sense.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I have yet another to "My Sister's Keeper" coming up after this. Looking forward to hearing what you all think of it.**


	3. Chapter 3: Whiterose

**Mantle – Airship over Atlas**

Naruto had to admit, when he'd decided to venture to Atlas he hadn't expected he'd be going there in style. Then again, considering he was traveling with an Atlas military Specialist whose stiff, militaristic demeanor wasn't something she apparently turned off ever, it was certainly not his first choice when it came to travel options. Honestly, he'd rather deal with Maria again, knowing he'd be more prepared to handle that old woman than the one who currently sat across from him.

Shortly after his actions at the port town which ensured no collateral damage had been caused by the Grimm, Specialist Winter Schnee had informed him his actions, once reported to her father, had intrigued the man enough that he wanted to meet with and possibly repay him for his actions. While Naruto had attempted to respectfully decline, the way Winter had looked at him and the tone she used when speaking with him implied he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Soon after his few possessions were collected and stowed aboard her personal airship and he was given a seat next to the woman on board. Aside from Hyorinmaru, which he kept on his person at all times, he didn't have access to any of his personal possessions. It made him a little nervous with only the tight hold he kept on his katana to keep him from losing himself to paranoia.

"So, Naruto was it? Where are you from?" Winter suddenly asked, attempting to make some conversation during the trip.

"Oh, uh, a small village in Mistral," he replied.

His time amongst Raven's tribe had taught him that any mention of his village Konoha, or the fact that they were shinobi, would either be met with confused stares or people looking at him like he had a few screws lose. Alternatively, he knew better than to mention anything about being sheltered by bandits for a few years. From all the books he'd read regarding Atlas and its exploits, their impressive military power was something which stuck out and told him that mentioning people who made a living by raiding nearby villages was probably a bad idea.

"I see. Where were you trained? I can't say that I've ever seen abilities such as yours and certainly not from something as unassuming as a katana," Winter said, patting her own saber absentmindedly as she spoke.

"I'm self-taught. We didn't have a formal school where I was from. You simply had to learn to survive."

"Interesting," she said, eyeing him suspiciously. "And just where did you come across such a unique sword? I don't mean to pry but it seems far beyond your capabilities to have had it commissioned or have created it yourself."

"It's a family heirloom. Had it as long as I can remember," he replied. That was as truthful as he could be considering he'd woken up clutching the damn thing.

"So it was passed down to you by your parents?" she inquired.

"Something like that," he said. "My parents died not long after I was born. If they knew anything about the origins of my katana, they passed before they could share that with me.

"Oh, I see," she said, her tone becoming noticeably less intense. "My apologies, I didn't mean to open old wounds," she replied.

"Don't worry about it. It's not something I dwell on much. I simply focus on achieving my goals and becoming someone the people of my village can respect."

"That is a noble venture," she replied, the ghost of a smile playing at the corner of her lips.

"Ma'am, we're coming up on Atlas," the pilot informed them from the cockpit.

"Have you ever seen the city?" Winter asked.

"No, first time actually," he admitted.

"Then you'll want to look out that porthole. It's quite a sight or so I've been told."

Naruto wasn't quite sure what she meant by that comment but he did as he was told regardless. For a moment his view was obscured by the clouds and Naruto couldn't see a thing. However, as his vision cleared, his mouth gaped open at the sight that greeted him. Atlas, as it would appear, was one city split into two separate locations. On the ground, settled between a large body of water and a mountain range, was a large city which no doubt began as the origins of Atlas in the early days of Mantle. However, floating several feet above it, situated just beneath the clouds, was a separate landmass. Winter wasn't kidding, Atlas was quite a sight to behold, especially because Naruto had never seen anything quite like it. A city, with a landmass completely separate from the other, attached to the lower landmass via a series of cables and a singular pole that ran their length separating the two. He could only wonder how they'd managed such a marvel, not to mention how they maintained it in the first place. Whatever it was had to be powerful, otherwise it could spell the end for the city entirely should its floating half fall into disrepair.

"Incredible," he breathed.

"Indeed, even when I was a child I couldn't help but marvel at the sight," winter admitted. "Unfortunately, it has since lost its luster."

"You grew up in Atlas?" he asked.

"Yes, I was born and raised in the upper quarter," she replied.

Naruto looked back out the porthole, looking to the city below and then the portion that floated above, putting two and two together.

"Wait, you used to live there?" he asked, pointing to the floating island.

"Of course, I am a Schnee after all," she replied with a quirked eyebrow.

"Sorry, I didn't want to assume," he said, too embarrassed to admit he didn't know much about the Schnee family. "Still, it seems a bit of a waist to make something like that simply to have a city exclusively for the upper crust."

"To be honest, that was never its initial intention," Winter replied. "When it was first built, it was an experimental cityscape designed to offer the greatest protection from the Grimm. By creating a space that couldn't be accessed by any land based Grimm and instead limiting the threats to more airborne varieties such as Nevermore and Gryphons, we would be able to focus more on the city defenses and even have military assets that were capable of defending against a singular type of threat."

"I'm guessing that's not how things worked out, though," Naruto inserted.

"You'd be right. While the city is a technological marvel, the vast amounts of Dust required to maintain the machines which enable the city to float at such a high altitude was something that couldn't be duplicated for multiple instillations. Even this singular one is unique as the Dust provided for it comes exclusively from the Schnee Dust Company, ensuring my father has a great deal of power and sway in Atlas and could very well be the deciding factor of whether the city continues to float or comes crashing down on the citizens below."

"He can't or at least I'd hope he wouldn't be so heartless," Naruto protested.

"Sadly that's something I can't say for sure. While I'd like to say my father isn't the kind of man who'd allow his pride to determine whether the city gets the Dust required to maintain its position, he's surprised me on so many occasions in the past that the only reason I can fathom he'd have for allowing it to remain is the simple fact that his home resides there and it would be too much effort to have everything transported elsewhere."

"I see," Naruto replied, gazing back at the structure with a great less enthusiasm as before. "And this is the man who wants to reward me for protecting an important port city?"

"Indeed so I'd suggest being on your best behavior. He is a very prideful man and someone who easily takes offense so watch what you say."

"I understand," Naruto replied.

Indeed, Winter's warning did not fall on deaf ears. Naruto had, in the past, performed missions and been around people of great political status. Aside from Saukra's threats to pummel him into paste should he act out and say something rude to their host, he'd found it increasingly difficult to stomach the pompous attitudes of those who considered themselves to be of a higher class or born into a better family than they. He'd never understood how such people could exist. As far as he was concerned, one's family had nothing to do with your status in life. Life in Konoha had revolved about your abilities as a shinobi and the respect you received from your fellow comrades. His dream had always been to become the village Hokage, the village leader which meant he would be in a position where he was the most respected and revered among everyone not simply due to his birth but due to his skill. The fact that he was about to be hosted by someone like that, not to mention reside for a time in a city that was the very epitome of their egotistical philosophy, wasn't something that sat well with him but which he nonetheless began mentally preparing himself for. Hopefully he wouldn't be here very long and he could get on with his journey.

/-/

The airship settled gently on the ground, Winter standing tall and erect as she waited for the ramp to lower and allow her to dismount. Naruto stood loosely next to her, wondering to himself what he should expect. Needless to say it came as a major surprise to the young man when the ramp lowered and he was greeted by the sight of two lines of security guards, all of whom worked for the SDC if the snowflake Emblem emblazoned over their heart was any indication. Their armor, a mixture of sky blue and pristine white, almost blended in with the white background of the world around them. It really didn't surprise Naruto that, even at this height there would be snow covering everything. While he was sure the people of Atlas had managed to figure out how to prevent it from accumulating so quickly, he simply figured they'd learned to deal with it, instead finding ways to make it work with the overall aesthetic of the city.

He followed Winter down as the guards made a quick, synchronized maneuver that brought them all to attention. They remained as such until the two of them reached a limousine that had been sent for them with Naruto having a bit of a struggle as he tried to slip in easily with Hyorinmaru still attached to his hip. Winter had managed to do it with her saber, making the action look easy and seamless. He looked like a complete idiot and, after a few moments of fumbling, gave up and laid his sword across his lap as he took a seat opposite the Specialist. As soon as they were comfortable they were moving again, the airstrip quickly disappearing from their view as they made their way into the city proper.

Looking out the window, Naruto could see from the buildings and the people walking the streets that this was a culture completely different from his own. The clothes looked expensive as hell, with many of them seeming to almost be inlaid with some measure of gold or silver in the fabric. Every woman was decked out with some sort of jewels that must have a cost a fortune and they walked in a manner that seemed to say they owned the very ground they trod on. It made him feel uncomfortable just watching them, knowing all too well that, if he were to step foot out there dressed as he was, they'd no doubt give him looks that suggested they thought he might be harboring some sort of terminal disease. He was thankful then to be inside a limo with tinted windows, ensuring he could see them perfectly but not the other way around.

"There are some things you should know before you meet my father," Winter said, garnering his attention. "My father is a very wealthy and powerful man. He holds a great deal of influence not only here in Atlas but in many other parts of Remnant. When you meet him, though he'll be cordial with you, you may feel that he's looking down on you."

"Because he is," Naruto concluded, catching Winter off guard. "Don't worry, I know better than to act out. Best thing for me is to simply stay out of his way and take everything he says with a grain of salt, am I right?"

"Indeed," she said, quickly regaining her composure. "You'll be expected to meet with him, receive his thanks as well as a reward, and attend an after party he'll be hosting. Don't worry, you won't be expected to mingle with anyone. He'll politely mention your contribution to our family but aside from that he'll expect nothing else. We'll also see to providing you with a suit to wear to the occasion."

"I understand," Naruto replied, returning his gaze to the world outside.

"It's a depressing sight, isn't it?" Winter asked, her question causing Naruto to glance her way in confusion. "I grew up in this place and yet, despite all that time walking amongst them, I never once felt like I belonged. There was a certain perspective you had to have to walk amongst these people. I never had it and frankly the price to attain their acceptance always seemed too high to me."

She glanced over at Naruto and started chuckling softly to herself once she saw his expression.

"My apologies, I suppose I was feeling a bit melancholy. I wouldn't expect for you to know what it feels like to grow up the way I did. If there is one thing I admired about the cultures outside of Atlas it was how much more honest people were about themselves and each other."

"Actually, I know all too well what you mean," Naruto replied, eliciting a look of surprise from her. "Where I grew up, due to the circumstances surrounding my birth, I was considered an outcast by my village. I never knew my parents and it would be years before I started finding pieces of the actual truth."

"My apologies, I had no idea," Winter said.

"Don't worry about it. I know they sometimes say that ignorance is bliss but, for me, that never felt right. I'd rather know the full truth, regardless of how bad it may be, than be kept in the dark all my life," he replied.

"I agree," Winter said, a small smirk gracing her lips.

Before long the limo reached its destination, entering through a pair of large, white gates marked with a large **W** atop them. Naruto gazed out his window at the immaculate shrubbery, lawn and trees that lay on the grounds. It was a work of art, by any definition, and certainly one that must have cost a fortune to maintain. The path they were on was made of white marble stones, many of which crunched beneath the weight of their ride as they were propelled to the entrance of the mansion. As it slowed to their destination, Naruto could see another fleet people, this time servants, lining the path up towards the doors of the large building. He was beginning to see a pattern, something which didn't sit well with him.

As soon as the limo stopped, Winter made her way out with Naruto following close behind. The servants, who had been standing tall and erect, bowed slightly as she made her way down the path towards the door. Naruto couldn't help but gaze at the numerous men and women who lined the path, each of them decked out in a uniform of sky blue and white with the Schnee family crest emblazed over their hearts. It was something he figured he'd be see a great deal of during his time here. No doubt the Schnee family made sure everything they produced had their family crest on it. Come to think of it, would that also extend to toilet paper? He thought about it, picturing sky blue toilet paper with a white snowflake on each individual square. He chuckled at the image but quickly composed himself when Winter glanced back at him to see what he'd found so amusing.

"Winter, it's so good to see you," a man said as they approached the mansion.

"You as well Klein," Winter said as she gave the man a hug.

Naruto watched as she embraced a man with a light brown mustache and hair, much of which had migrated to the outer edges of his head. While he would have thought the man was her father, the way she acted around him, not to mention his uniform, told him he was wrong. The man was no doubt one of the many butlers her family employed and obviously someone very close to Winter. He was certainly someone he could trust as her unhesitant willingness to hug him, an act that seemed completely foreign for the militaristic woman, was no doubt steeped in years of trust and loyalty he'd earned from her.

"Uzumaki Naruto, allow me to introduce Klein. He's the head butler of my father's estate. Should you need anything just find Klein and he'll give you all the assistance that you require."

"Good to know. Nice to meet you Klein," Naruto said, accepting the man's offer to shake hands.

"You as well master Uzumaki. Don't worry, Winter informed me of you prior to her arrival along with you measurements," he said with a wink.

"My measurements?" he asked, more disturbed by that small bit of information than the fact that the man already knew his name.

"For your suit. The one you'll be wearing at this evening gala," he informed him.

"Oh," he said, giving Winter an uneasy look as he contemplated how she'd managed to get those.

"Please follow me. Your father is already awaiting you in his study."

Naruto soon realized that, just as the grounds of the mansion were a sight to behold, so too were the halls housed within. The floors and walls were spotless, made from something that looked a great deal like marble. The theme of sky blue and white continued with most of the walls either being taken up by windows, tapestries, or expensive paintings. Occasionally they'd pass a large open room where he would see a massive statue erected within or several musical instruments, many of which Naruto wasn't aware of the name of. Only once did he see a family portrait depicting the whole of the Schnee family. While many others he'd seen in the past all contained smiling faces, only the young boy seated on his mother's lap held a smile, no doubt Winter's younger brother. All the woman held frown's while their father had a more serious expression on his face. It was very telling of the state of affairs in their household.

"One moment please," Klein said as they stood outside a large oaken door.

Klein knocked a couple times before entering. There was some muffled conversation from inside before he returned, motioning for them to follow him inside. As soon as they entered, Naruto was struck by how different the room was from the rest of the mansion. Both sides of the room had been converted into bookshelves from which not only books sat but various trinkets and awards. A couch sat across from a pair of arm chairs with a table in the middle upon which he could see a chess board and a couple glasses next to a much larger one containing some dark amber liquid. Winter's father sat behind his desk, his white hair and mustache a near identical match to his daughter's though the large portrait that sat on the wall behind him showed he'd looked much different in his younger days. The fact that the man had a portrait of "himself" was a bit disconcerting for him, especially considering the man's poor reputation outside of Atlas.

"Aww, so this is the young man I have to thank for protecting our assets," he said, walking around his desk to shake Naruto's hand.

"I did what I could. Your daughter, along with her forces, did the heavy lifting. I mostly kept the Grimm at bay for a while," he replied, shaking the hand that was offered.

"Skilled and humble, very noble attributes. Well, all things considered, your actions have won you my respect as well as my admiration. I'd like you to be our guest of honor this evening. We'll be holding a small gala among which will have many of Atlas' most influential families and politician's in attendance."

"I'd be honored to sir," he replied, recalling how Winter had stated he wouldn't have much choice in the matter otherwise.

"Excellent. I've had Klein set a room aside for you to rest and refresh yourself in preparation for this evening. I'll have you go with him. Your suit should be arriving shortly as well."

At this Klein reappeared, gesturing for him to follow. Naruto did so, eager to leave the man's presence and a little disappointed to see that Winter had left as well, leaving him all by his lonesome. It didn't take long for them to reach his room, a small guest room as Klein informed him. As soon as he opened the door Naruto wondered if the man had been mistaken. Needless to say, while it may have been humble by their standards, everything inside looked so expensive he was afraid to touch anything for fear it might cost him an arm and a leg. Everything from the bedsheets, the dresser, the desk, the chairs, and even the window shades were stylized in the Schnee's signature look. He could feel the wealth radiating off of everything.

"We'll have your suit ready for you shortly. I'll make sure to knock a few times to alert you to my presence."

"Thanks," he managed to say before the door shut.

Left all to himself, Naruto could only think of doing one thing. Finding a comfortable area in the room, far from any of the furniture, he settled himself down, placing Hyorinmaru in his lap as he began to meditate. With practiced ease he slipped from the conscious world, feeling it dissipate around him as it was replaced by the white landscape of Hyorinmaru's. He almost laughed, finding it somewhat amusing that, while his mind was no longer in Atlas the view hadn't changed from his current lodgings. Still, he needed only to gaze upon the floating form of the Ice Dragon as well as the relaxed form of Kurama, the Nine Tailed fox demon.

"So, guys, what do you think?"

"**Hmph, what do we care about the business of mortals?**" Kurama asked, much to Naruto's annoyance.

"**He has a point, Naruto. Whatever business you conduct with these men is yours and yours alone to worry about. We are merely along for the ride, helping you to achieve your goals where we can,**" Hyorinmaru added.

"I understand that but I'm serious here. I need your advice. Jacques Schnee is a powerful man and the people I'll be meeting at this gala or whatever will no doubt be similar. I need to know who I can trust. I don't want to throw my lot in with just anyone."

"**That is a fair point and it is wise that you would place your faith in our judgement,**" Hyorinmaru replied thoughtfully. "**His daughter, Winter, is certainly one with a noble soul. You would do well to count her among your friends. Her father is decidedly less so. I don't sense much good coming from him.**"

"**It would certainly be easier for us to judge the others once you're around them. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for anyone of interest at this party of theirs but don't expect me to be constantly advising you on who to rub elbows with and who to avoid. I'll let you know who I like and when I remain silent that should let you know who's not worth our time,**" Kurama stated.

"**Indeed.**"

"Alright then. Thanks for your help. I'll make sure to keep your interests in mind. Hopefully we can find some powerful friends who can help us find a way back home."

/-/

Naruto tugged at his suit collar, feeling like the damn thing was attempting to strangle him to death. He felt quite out of place, not only due to the suit he was forced to wear but also from the atmosphere of the gala itself. His only solace came in the fact that Jacques Schnee had allowed him to carry Hyorinmaru with him, often referring to him as he led him from one business partner to the next, introducing him before diving into a conversation that he'd long since given up on attempting to follow. All throughout the night he met one person after the next, plastering on a smile as he struggled to breath against his collar while Jacques and his friends chatted away about something he couldn't care less about. While he'd asked Kurama and Hyorinmaru to let him know about anyone of interest, he wasn't surprised that the two had remained silent all through the night. It had become painfully obvious to him that all these people cared about was their money, power, and how society saw them. He wanted to gage and, finding an opportunity to slip away, quickly excused himself to go outside and get some air.

The cool, crisp air greeted him, setting a definite shift in atmosphere with how warm it had been inside. Naruto welcomed the change, finally feeling like he could breathe now that he was away from everyone. While he'd planned to spend some time in Atlas, his time here all but confirmed that he'd be hopping a transport out of here soon, possibly towards Vale if he could manage. He felt very out of place, being passed around as a trophy for people to admire but otherwise not care about. It was disgusting to say the least. The sooner he could leave this place behind the better.

As he basked in the silence of the open balcony, his attention was drawn to the sound of someone cutting through the air. He looked around, confused, before his eyes were drawn to the courtyard down below. Down the flight of steps leading out into an open courtyard where a frozen fountain with a large snowflake set in the middle stood was a young girl with stark white hair. She was dressed it what appeared to be a skirt along with a short jacket and matching heeled boots. In her hand she grasped what appeared to a rapier with a larger cylinder attached to the handle. She moved back and forth, her actions appearing to almost flow like a dance, as she slashed at invisible opponents. He was mesmerized, so much so that he didn't realize he'd descended the stairs to watch her. As she felled another opponent, her gaze shifted to him, glaring balefully.

"Can I help you?" she snipped.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just impressed with you skills," he commented, receiving a questioning glare from the girl. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto, by the way."

"Oh, you're the boy who father claims saved the shipping port," she replied.

"Father? You mean Jacques?"

"Of course, you dolt, he's my father. I am Weiss Schnee, heriess of the Schnee Dust Company."

"Huh, Winter never mentioned she had a sister," he mused.

"You know my sister?" she asked, her expression softening from her surprise.

"Yea, she gave me a lift here actually. Truth be told, she was the one who saved the shipping port. All I did was erect an ice wall and killed a Goliath that broke through."

"You killed a Goliath all on your own?" she asked, her gaze washing over him as she eyed his katana strapped to his waist.

"Well, yea, is that surprising?" he asked.

"Hmm," she hummed. "I take it then you consider yourself quite skilled."

"I'm skilled enough to survive I suppose."

"Well then, would you care for a spare?" she asked.

"That's the best thing I've heard all night," he said, quickly shedding his coat as he rolled up his sleeves and undid his collar.

Weiss took notice of his muscles, not overly developed but enough to draw the eye and showcase that he wasn't a slouch. He drew out his katana, taking a stance opposite her own as they prepared.

"Ready?" she asked.

"One moment," he said with a smirk before reciting, "Rise over the frosted heavens, Hyorinmaru!"

She shielded her eyes as a blast of snow blinded her for just a moment. As soon as she regained her composure, she looked quizzically at the blade he was holding. The shabby looking katana had changed somehow, the hilt having gained a second guard that looked like a star and a long chain attached to a crescent moon charm hung from the bottom of the handle. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened. His semblance perhaps? Certainly a strange one, especially with how it had changed his sword's appearance. Perhaps it was unique in that fashion, something that allowed the boy to take shabby weapons and make them like new again, throwing his opponents off guard when they attacked, thinking his old shabby weapon would break only to have him give it new life and a sharper edge. Clearly she'd have to be mindful while fighting him.

"Ready when you are," he said with a smirk.

Weiss didn't speak, summoning a glyph beneath her feet that propelled her backwards. A seconded one appeared and she rocketed forward, catching Naruto off guard but not enough for him to react. He brought Hyorinmaru up and heard the distinct _Clang!_ as metal struck metal. In an instant she was gone, having retreated once more but in her place icicles began shooting out at him. Naruto dodged to the side, swiping Hyorinmaru in a motion that brought up a wall of ice to cover his escape. Weiss was surprised by the motion, having only seen her sister and herself use such a tactic. She spun the dust cartridges, choosing something appropriate and sent a wave of fire in his direction. The wall didn't last very long, having been hastily made, and it quickly melted under her barrage.

"Hyorinmaru, I need cover," he said.

"**As you wish, Naruto**," his companion answered.

He slashed horizontally, causing a blast of wind to flow over the area. Weiss recoiled from the cold, feeling the wind whip past her as a thick fog rolled in along with it, obscuring her vision. Naruto smiled to himself. Now he was in his element. With the fog cover he'd have an easier time to slip into her guard without her noticing but he'd have to work fast.

"Kurama, you're up. I'll need to borrow some of your chakra for this."

"**Don't waste it,**" the Demon growled.

Knowing all too well that her opponent intended to use the fog as cover, Weiss spun the Dust cartridges again, settling this time on wind. With a quick swipe of her rapier she blew the fog away revealing a completely empty courtyard. She looked around, perplexed by what she saw but her eyes didn't lie to her. The courtyard was empty, completely devoid of anyone but herself just as it had been before Naruto's arrival. She kept her guard up, though, quickly looking around to try and find him. He had been clever but there were only so many places he could hide but just where had he gone? A steady rumbling at her feet drew her attention. Confused, she gazed at the ground, wondering if something big was headed this way. She soon realized she was mistaken as a blade shot up out of the ground. She cried out, attempting to get away but slipping on the rubble and collapsing unceremoniously onto the ground.

Before she could rise to her feet, however, Naruto's blade was already tickling her throat. She looked up at the boy, his hair and shirt matted with dirt. He'd somehow managed to dive underground without her noticing and come up beneath her. A clever tactic to be sure, possibly something tied to his semblance? While he wore a serious expression it quickly broke into a smile as he sheathed his sword and offered her his dirty hand. She hesitated for a moment before accepting it and felt the boy effortlessly raised her to her feet.

"That was excellent," he said, laughing as he spoke. "You really had me on the back foot. I had to think outside the box quick otherwise I would have lost to you in matter of moments," he said, praising her all the while.

"I was trained by my sister Winter. She would have expected nothing less," she replied.

"I can tell. You're incredibly skilled. I'll have to really work to improve myself so I can challenge you again sometime," he said with an easy smile.

"I'll look forward to it," Weiss replied, somehow feeling happy to hear him say that.

She wasn't a stranger to hearing boys complement her, but it was always hollow as they simply said things to try and gain her favor and by extension her father's. This boys words, however, felt genuine, something she wasn't at all used to and certainly not something she had been prepared for. She also wasn't prepared for the storm that descended upon them in the form of her enraged father.

"What is going on here?" he bellowed, his gaze falling on Weiss before looking over Naruto's soiled clothes and finally settling on the large hole in the ground. "Explain."

"Father I- "she started, struggling to find the words.

"It's my fault sir," Naruto said, stepping in to block her form with his own. "Weiss didn't cause any of this. I saw her practicing from up on the balcony and asked her to spare with me. I kind of got carried away," he said, smiling sheepishly as he glanced back at the large hole. "Whatever damages I've caused, I'll gladly pay for them and repair anything I can."

Jacques eyed him for a moment before glancing back to Weiss. While the heat in his eyes had smoldered somewhat, there was no doubt he'd have words for her later. "That won't be necessary. You are my honored guest, after all, so I don't see the harm in overlooking this small matter. I'll trust that you'll refrain from causing any more damage to my estate?"

"Of course," he replied.

"Good. Come, we'll need to get you cleaned up. I have a very important guest who'd like to meet with you and we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Naruto glanced back to Weiss, offering her a warm smile. "Sorry about that."

"You needn't worry. I have no need of protection, especially from my own father," she replied in retort.

"I don't doubt that but I wasn't about to let you take the fall for my actions. Guess we'll have to have that rematch some other time."

"Of course but don't expect me to go easy on you next time," she replied.

"I look forward to it," he replied with an easy smile.

Weiss watched as he walked off, a small smile forming on her face. Uzumaki Naruto. Certainly an interesting person. One to keep an eye on for sure. He was good enough to catch Winter's eye at the very least. Perhaps she should ask her opinion on him? If only to gauge her overall appraisal of his skills, to be sure.

/-/

Naruto sighed happily, glad to be out of that stuffy suit and back into some more casual wear. The suit had been fine as far as he was concerned. Just needed to be dusted off and it would be good to go. Jacques, on the other hand, had proclaimed it was ruined and promptly had it disposed of. He wondered if the man hadn't already planned on doing the exact same thing shortly after he'd departed. Well, it didn't matter now. With Hyorinmaru strapped to his side, he made his way towards Jacques' office to meet with his guest. He'd thankfully memorized the route so there had been no need for him to ask Klein for assistance. Before long he stood outside, knocked three times just as Klein had, and promptly let himself inside.

He was immediately elated to see a familiar face in that of Winter Schnee. While their relationship was more an acquaintanceship than an actual friendship, simply having someone he felt he could relatively trust in the room helped him to feel a bit more at ease. Unsurprisingly Jacques Schnee was also present, sitting behind his desk. The only other person in the room was a tall gentleman dressed in military garb similar to Winter's. Despite the fact he was sitting, Naruto could tell he was a rather large man. He had sharp features, a clean haircut and a small metal strip just above his left eyebrow. His hands were gloved, something which he found odd, but he held a warm smile that helped him feel more at ease. The man immediately rose when he entered, showing off his impressive height before crossing the room to meet him.

"Good evening young man, I'm General James Ironwood of the Atlas military," he said extending his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he replied taking the man's hand in his own.

He was instantly caught off guard by the unnatural firmness of his shake. It wasn't due to his muscular hand but more of it feeling like it was hard as a rock or metal. Ironwood must have noticed, chuckling to himself as Naruto's cheeks turned red from embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I get that reaction a lot. An old war wound," he replied before motioning for Naruto to take a seat at one of the available chairs. "So, Specialist Winter tells me you assisted in the defense of the shipping port during the Grimm incursion last night."

"She gives me more credit than I'm due. I hardly did anything. Winter and her team did most of the heavy lifting."

"That maybe so but I have several eye witness accounts that say you didn't hesitate to act in defense of the town and its people. You leapt into action, erecting a wall of ice and even managed to singlehandedly eliminate a Goliath on your own. Not many people your age could make such a claim. More than a few are capable of taking on Beowulves and even Ursa but a Goliath is another class of Grimm entirely."

"I got lucky," he replied.

"I don't believe in luck. I believe in skill, something which you showed a great deal of," he replied, his eyes wandering to the sword at his hip. "Is that your weapon of choice?"

"Yes, it's called Hyorinmaru."

"May I examine it?"

Naruto hesitated for a moment, his hand slipping to the hilt as he established a connection between himself and Hyorinmaru.

"_Hyorinmaru, will you let him see you or are you going to act out again?_"

"**I sense a noble soul within this one. He may examine me but he shouldn't expect anything more from me,**" the frost dragon replied.

"_Good enough,_" he said, removing it from his hip. "Have a look General."

Ironwood nodded his affirmation as he took the sword from him before removing the katana from its sheath. He examined the blade, his eyes roving every inch of it as Naruto tensed. While he trusted Hyorinmaru to keep his word that he wouldn't act aggressively towards the man, he wasn't sure his word would stand should the General begin to examine it more extensively. After a while his expression showed that he was satisfied and he replaced the blade back within its sheath before handing it back to Naruto.

"It's a beautiful blade. Where did you get it?"

"Family heirloom, been with us for generations," Naruto replied, reciting the same half-truth he'd come to rely on whenever someone asked him that question.

"I see. It's in exquisite condition despite its age and the amount of use it's seen. How does it work? I didn't see anywhere for you to insert ice dust."

"I'm not quite sure myself. With how old it is, I think that knowledge has been lost to the ages. I prefer to simply think of it as being something more spiritual than anything else."

"**Hilarious,**" Hyorinmaru grumbled.

"Indeed. I also have to wonder where you learned to fight like you did. You obviously showed a lot of skill and a great deal of potential. Who did you train under? Was it your parents?"

"Uh, no, actually, they passed away shortly after I was born," he replied.

The man's expression softened to one of understand, as did Winter's, "My apologies. You've obviously done well for yourself."

"James, if you could get to the point of your invitation. I have other business I need to see to," Jacques interrupted, showing little concern for the subject matter.

"Of course," Ironwood replied, showing no signs that he was annoyed or insulted by his interruption. "Naruto, have you heard of the four Huntsman Academies of Remnant."

"Yea, there's Beacon in Vale, Shade in Vacuo, Haven in Mistral, and the Atlas Academy here."

"Indeed. Many people know of these academies as well as the men and women who run them. I myself, apart from being the General of the Atlas military am also the headmaster of the Academy. As such I'm always on the lookout for promising young men and women who show the potential to become great Huntsmen and Huntresses."

"And this is your pitch to have me join the academy," Naruto concluded.

"Exactly," he replied, offering a pleased smile.

"It's a generous offer General but I'm only sixteen. I thought you had to be seventeen to apply?"

"Acceptations have been made in the past for individuals who show incredible skill. Your performance at the port town was more than enough to garner my attention."

"I understand General and I thank you for your offer," Naruto began.

"I'm sensing a 'but' somewhere," he replied.

"_But_ I wasn't planning on spending an extensive amount of time here in Atlas. I was originally planning on heading to Vale after this as part of my training."

"I see. Well then perhaps I could offer you my assistance in getting you there. I can have a shuttle prepped and ready to depart whenever you need it."

"Thank you General, that's very kind of you."

"Don't mention it. I'd still like you to keep my offer in mind, if not for you to join my academy then perhaps Beacon? Headmaster Ozpin and I are good friends. I could send him a recommendation to ensure you have a place on the list of next year's initiates."

"I'll keep that in mind," Naruto said, shaking the man's hand.

"Well then, Uzumaki Naruto, I wish you the best on your journey. Hopefully we'll meet again soon."

/-/

**Vale – Six Months Later**

Cold. Why did it have to be cold? He could understand Atlas. Atlas was always cold. For anyone who hadn't been there it was a winter wonderland but for those who have, such as himself, it was a frozen _fucking_ tundra and that went double for its people. The moment he set down in Vale he wondered if there was some great deity he'd somehow managed to piss off that not only found him spending time in the coldest place on Remnant but also a less intense but just as frigid winter here in Vale. He'd heard from Raven that some of Remnant's oldest legends profess that their world had been made by two brother gods, one of light and one of darkness. He figured he'd either pissed them off or somehow was seen as the latter god's form of amusement. As far as he was concerned, they were the exact same. The real icing on the cake was the overall fact that he was in possession of a sword that attacked using ice. While it might have been useful in the warmer months, Naruto couldn't help himself from thinking how much nicer it might have been to have a fire deity instead. Maybe he should have gone on to Vacuo? Sure, it was one giant litterbox but at least it was warm during the day.

As he trudged on through the snow, praying he came upon some sign that he was nearing a village, his attention was drawn to a familiar sound. Wolves, specifically Beowulves, were howling and growling aggressively. What's more he could hear gun shots, a telltale sign that someone was fighting them. Unwilling to leave anyone on their own against Grimm attacks, and hoping the fight might do something to help warm him up, Naruto began sprinting towards the sound. He didn't have to go very far when he came upon the ensuing battle and what he saw was nothing short of impressive.

A young girl, younger than himself as far as he could tell, dressed in an assortment of black and red with a long flowing cape behind her danced through the juvenile Beowulves like it was the most natural thing in the world. Not a single movement was wasted, each one transitioning into another or otherwise acting as the springboard for the next counterattack. Even the shots from her weapon, some of which weren't meant for the Grimm themselves, acted as the catalyst to an attack that eliminated them or helped her to dodge an oncoming attack. As soon as it had begun she landed on the ground with the shell casings from her weapon falling all around her. It was a picture perfect moment, one where Naruto couldn't help but applaud. Apparently she hadn't been expecting such a reaction as she quickly became aware of her audience, squeaked, and stumbled unceremoniously onto her rump.

"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said, rushing over to help the girl to her feet.

"It's alright," she said, accepting his hand as he helped her to her feet. "Um, how long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. I saw the whole thing. You were incredible," he praised.

"T-thanks," she said, her face quickly turning the exact shade of red as her cape. "Um, I'm Ruby Rose, nice to meet you."

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. The pleasure is mine," he said, taking her hand and giving it a shake. "I'm surprised to see anyone out here. Were you visiting someone?"

"Yea, I was just on my way back from visiting my mother's grave."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," he replied, his smile drooping a little.

"It's alright. She passed away when I was really young so I don't miss her too much. She was a Huntress. I'm going to be one just like her."

"Well, if that display you put on is anything to go by then I'd say you're well on your way to achieving that goal."

"T-thank you," Ruby said, blushing once more from the naked praise. "Are you a Huntsman?"

"Huh?"

"Your sword, is it your Huntsman weapon?" she asked, motioning to Hyorinmaru strapped to his waist.

"Oh, no, I'm not a Huntsman."

"Are you enrolled in one of the schools? I go to Signal, where my dad and Uncle Qrow teach. My sister is going to Beacon this year and I'll be going there in a couple years."

"I keep hearing about Beacon. Maybe it's the Universe's way of trying to tell me I should enroll," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, you should, it would be so awesome!" Ruby cried. "You could meet my sister and then I'd have two people I know there when I enroll."

"S-sure, I'll keep it in mind," he said, leaning back from a starry-eyed Ruby.

"Um, where were you headed anyway?" she asked.

"You know, I've been asking myself the same thing for a while now. Mostly I've just been looking for some sign of civilization."

"Oh, you could come to my house. It's warm and you could meet my dad and Zwei, that's our dog. He's supper cute and he'd love you."

"Yea, sure, that sounds gre- look out!" Naruto yelled, throwing Ruby to the side before back flipping out of the way.

Naruto had evaded the attack just in time. A large paw, encased in bone and attached to a menacing looking Beowulf, growled as it eyed its prey. Naruto drew Hyorinmaru from its sheath, staring back at his opponent. The Beowulf was much more deadly than the juveniles Ruby had easily dispatched just moments before. This one was an Alpha, a Beowulf that had either outlasted, evaded, or killed every Huntsman who'd tried to take it down during its life time. All the experience it had gained throughout the years had made it into a Huntsman killing machine with a body encased in bone armor and an intellect that made it a cunning opponent. Unfortunately for it, Naruto was not the average Huntsman.

With Hyorinmaru in his hands, he easily batted aside its paws as it attempted to shear his head from his shoulders. The attacks were powerful, easily pushing Naruto back as he deflected the attacks to the side. While he attempted to find himself an opening, he soon found himself aided by Ruby who began pelting the creature with sniper fire. Unfortunately, her attacks only served to annoy it, drawing its attention to her. With it distracted, he swiped Hyorinmaru and caused a layer of ice to form around its legs, cementing it to the ground. This drew its attention back to him and as it attempted to shear the ice from its legs, Hyorinmaru soon proved tenacious as he caused its paws to become incased in ice as well, leaving it in a very vulnerable state.

"_Kurama, give me a boost, just to my legs._"

"**Alright, but don't going asking for any more favors without a good reason.**"

"_Noted._"

Naruto felt the surge of energy in his legs as Kurama poured a small amount of chakra into them. Taking a stance, he flew forward, reaching a speed that seemed to rival Ruby's own semblance. As the Alpha opened its mouth to roar at him, it soon found its head in two pieces, split down the middle of its jaw. It fell just a few feet from its frozen corpse, dissolving into nothingness as Naruto flicked the blade, sending black grime onto the snow before putting Hyorinmaru back into his sheath. Relaxing now that the battle was over, he was greeted by a star truck Ruby Rose who was gazing up at him like he was a celebrity off of a movie set.

"That. Was. Awesome!" she squealed.

"Uh, thanks?" he said.

"That was incredible. How did you freeze it like that? Does your blade have a dust injector in it or is that your semblance? How did you move so fast?" Her questions came at a mile a minute, leaving Naruto unsure of how to answer.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on. Can we at least get inside where it's warm before your start asking me twenty questions?"

"Oh, yea, sure, follow me," she said.

/-/

It didn't take them too long to reach Ruby's home. It was the greatest thing he'd ever seen, mostly because he'd been camping out in the snow with only the occasional settlement with an inn for him to sleep at. His shinobi training had come in handy, especially when finding or making himself a shelter but the fact that he was able to spend some time in an actual house for once was the greatest thing in the world to him at the moment. Ruby let them inside and he was instantly hit with a wave of warm air. His skin prickled at the sudden change in temperature but he could already feel his aching and frozen joints beginning to loosen up as they welcomed the warmer climate.

"Good ahead and have a seat on the couch. I'll get us something to eat," Ruby said as she stepped through a doorway which he assumed led to the kitchen.

Naruto did as he was told, plopping down onto the soft cushions and basking in their soft enveloping touch. He glanced around the room, taking in the home that had been built to look like a log cabin. Aside from its exterior, the interior looking nothing like what one would expect from a log cabin. For one thing there were two floors, not to mention carpeting, electricity, and plumbing. It was also decorated with pictures of family members, friends, and other Huntsman memorabilia. He glanced around, taking it all in, when one picture in particular caught his attention. Rising from his seat, he walked over to the mantle, gazing at the picture with a strange sense of déjà vu. The girl pictured was tall, a little shorter than himself but still a good height for her age. She had lilac eyes and long blond hair that fell in a curly waterfall down to her lower back. Her bright smile drew his eyes, as did her generous assets, though neither of those were what had garnered his attention. He couldn't be certain but the girl pictured reminded him an awful lot of Raven. Just darken her eyes to red and dye her hair black and she could be her spitting image. He was about to ask Ruby who she was when he felt another presence standing behind him and he turned to regard them.

Naruto almost flinched as he starred into the well toned chest of a tall blond man. His hair was short, sitting just above his blue eyes that bore into him with an intense aura. His exposed arms showed off his toned muscles as they were crossed over his chest, making him appear even more intimidating than at first glance. Naruto could already tell he'd stumbled into a bad situation and would need to act fast to get himself out of it.

"Uh, hello," he said, his simple greeting somehow causing the man's eyes to narrow with suspicion.

"What are you doing in my home?" he asked.

"This is your home?" he asked, the glare he received telling him that was a stupid question. "I was invited here."

"Invited? By whom?" he challenged.

"Hey dad, didn't realize you were home," Ruby said, walking into the room with a plate full of cookies and two glasses of milk. "This is my friend Naruto."

"Hello again," he said, seeing the man's gaze lessen, if only a little.

"Ruby, your friend is a boy," he pointed out.

"Yea, I know," she said nonchalantly.

"How did you two meet?"

"This afternoon, when I was walking home from visiting mom and was attacked by Beowulves."

"Maybe you should tell me the whole story," he suggested.

Settling themselves on the couch, Ruby began to recount the events that had led to them meeting. While her story was greatly over exaggerated, complete with sound effects and dialogue that he doubted the Grimm were capable of producing, he nonetheless kept quiet during the whole affair. It was only after he was introduced into the story that Naruto found her father, Taiyang as he was called, turning his gaze on him. He was obviously a protective father, something Naruto could appreciate and respect but not if it entailed him coming to bodily harm or worse death. Still, his part in aiding and even defending Ruby's life against that of an Alpha Beowulf was enough to convince the man he was of noble character, that and the fact that their corgi Zwei had taken a liking to him, laying in his lap while he scratched his ears.

"So, Naruto, where are you from?" he asked.

"A little village out in Mistral, no place you'd have heard of."

"And you want to become a Huntsman?" he asked.

"I'm honestly not sure," he admitted.

"If you're not sure then why do you carry a Huntsman's weapon?" he asked, motioning to his katana.

"It's a family heirloom. It's something I've always had. Mastering it has simply helped me to survive."

"And you're family?"

"They passed away when I was still an infant. I don't know much about them," he replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Tai said, his intense gaze lessoning at that. "I lost my wife several years ago. It's never easy dealing with the loss of someone your love," he said, Ruby taking his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Naruto, do you have any place to stay?" Ruby asked.

"I figured I'd find an inn or a hotel to crash in tonight," he replied.

"Oh, he can stay here, can't he dad?" Ruby asked, pleading with her father.

"I don't want to impose sir," he said, already dreading being in her father's crosshairs once more.

"I suppose we can put you up for the night, as a way of thanking you for helping Ruby out," he said.

/-/

Late in the night, the whole house was asleep save for two individuals. Naruto, along with Zwei, sat downstairs, looking out onto Patch through the window. With the dog curled up in his lap, Naruto gently stroked his fur, contemplating his next move. Ever since he'd come to this world Naruto had been faced with one challenge after another. More often than not he had been forced to conceal his abilities, playing off Hyorinmaru as a huntsman's weapon capable of generating ice through Dust. It as becoming more and more difficult to maintain this lie especially given the people he'd met along the way who were Huntsman in one way or another such as Raven, Ironwood, and now Taiyang. To say that the possibility of being able to keep everyone in the dark as an impossible task was an understatement. At some point someone was going to realize Hyorinmaru wasn't an ordinary Huntsman's weapon and with that revelation would come a whole heap of questions he either couldn't or didn't want to answer. The only problem now lay in where he went from here.

"Having trouble sleeping?" he heard someone ask.

Naruto's head audibly cracked as he spun his neck around. He looked up into the face of Taiyang, dressed in a shirt and basketball shorts, and wearing a surprisingly warm smile. He didn't let down his guard for a second, however, as he still recalled how the man's eyes had bore their way into his skull that afternoon.

"Uhh, yea, just hanging out with Zwei," he said, nervously, the dog leaving his lap to go up and greet his master.

"You can relax, Naruto, I'm just here to talk," Tai said, settling himself down next to the boy. "I only give guys the third degree when it comes to my daughter's. I'm very protective of them, have been since they were little."

"I understand," Naruto replied, relaxing a little.

"So, what's on your mind that's been keeping you up so late at night?"

"Just considering my next move," he replied honestly. "I've been traveling Remnant for the past year, searching for something, helping people where I can. It's not a bad life but it hasn't given me what I want, what I need."

"What is it you want?" Tai asked.

"How to get home. How to get back to the people I care about. I made a promise, one I want to keep but I'm not sure where to even begin searching. I'd hoped something would pop out at me along my journey but so far I've only found myself with more questions than answers."

"Maybe you've been looking in the wrong place," Tai said, earning a quizzical look from Naruto. "While I do admit that traveling across Remnant is a good way to start searching for answers, you obviously don't know what answers you're looking for or how to even recognize them when they make themselves known to you. Perhaps instead you should consider a place where you can both search for answers while also learning how to recognize them, among other things."

"You talking about Beacon?" Naruto asked, already knowing where this conversation was going.

"It wouldn't be a bad start, yes, and its simply one of several places you could begin your search at."

Naruto took a moment to consider what Tai was saying. The man wasn't wrong. Schools were specifically designed to help people learn, grow, and experiment with their knowledge and skills. Further more, it would also give him a great starting point as he'd be able to learn more about this world than by simply traveling around looking for answers. The only problem he had was the fact that joining Beacon was a four-year commitment and that wasn't even taking into consideration the fact that he had to pass an initiation process first. Still, he'd already spent a nearly four years here already, four years Sasuke had in allowing himself to disappear, far from Naruto's ability to tract him down and convince him to come home. By the time he found a way back he could be far more powerful and dangerous than he was when they'd last fought, a problem he'd need to rectify if he had any chance of fulfilling his promise to Sakura.

"You know, you're the third person I've meet who's spoken to me about the Huntsman academies. Perhaps its time I seriously consider them?"

"I can help you on that front. I'm a teacher over at Signal and a former Beacon graduate. I can make a few calls and get you set up to at least take the initiation process."

"Thanks but I already have someone willing to sponsor me. I just need to make a call tomorrow morning."

"No problem. Good talking with you, Naruto. Make sure you get some sleep," Tai said before heading to bed.

Naruto nodded, returning to his room shortly after. He had a lot to consider given everything he'd been through. While the act of attending one of the Huntsman academies had never been of great interest to him, knowing it might be pivotal to finding himself a way home gave it more precedence to him than it had before. It would be a major commitment unto itself. Four straight years of study, not to mention any further years following should he be unable to find the answers he sought at Beacon. Still, it would give him something to work with, a foundation of sorts and certainly not one that could be understated.

"Well boys, looks like we're headed back to school."

"**Oh joy**," Kurama grumbled, earning a chuckle from Naruto as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**I've had this chapter finished for a while. Been getting everything in order now that I've finally returned home from my extended business trip. Not really much to say. Just setting up the meeting between Naruto and the girls before they'll be seeing each other in Beacon once more. Honestly, I'm looking forward to the Beacon arc especially with all the shenanigans that will ensue. Already have a team name prepped so I'm good and ready.**

**I've had people ask me about when I'll be updating Archangel and My Sister's Keeper. Both will be updated soon. I'm looking to drop an update for Maidens and Demons first though I may put that off until I can figure out what I want to put for the next chapter. As for Archangel, with the Beacon arc coming to a close I do have plans for what will be happening afterwards. I'm projecting that it'll finish up sometime early next year though I won't give any concrete dates.**

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter. Leave a review and I'll see you all next time.**


	4. Chapter 4: Initiation

**Vale – Beacon Courtyard**

Naruto sat quietly in his seat, gazing out the window onto the cityscape down below. In his hand he clutched his katana tightly, unwilling to part with his partner/weapon. While he'd had some trouble in this regard with security while getting onto the airship, once they understood he was heading to Beacon they became a little more accommodating to his preferences. Apparently he wasn't the first aspiring Huntsman or Huntress to insist that their weapon remain on their person. He couldn't be sure but the way they'd described a young girl wearing a red cape insisting that she be allowed to keep her "baby" on her reminded him a little of Ruby. He'd quickly dismissed this thought, though, as she was still a couple years away from being able to attend Beacon. It was more likely that some other student who closely matched her description had given them a hard time. With that out of the way, Naruto had managed to get aboard without further problems and from there it was smooth sailing. Well, smooth being the preferable description to the reality he was in.

"**Remind me again whose bright idea it was to take us back to school?**" Kurama complained.

"_It was a group decision, one which we all agreed to,_" Naruto chided him.

"**Group decision? That's assuming the rest of us had a say in whether or not we tagged along on your little excursion. We may share the same body but I'm still sealed behind this door while you have complete control over our motor functions.**"

"**Enough complaining, Kurama. While you're lack of mobility is noted, keep in mind our decision to come here is part of a larger plan that will inevitably give us more insight into this world and its inner workings. Who knows, we may find some useful information that could lead us to returning to our own worlds and perhaps even finding a way to give you a body of your own.**"

While he didn't answer, Naruto could sense that the Nine Tailed Fox was intrigued by Hyorinmaru's response. Finding a way to separate himself from the demon sealed within him was an intriguing proposition but one that he nonetheless found doubtful. While this world was indeed different from his own, complete with its own set of rules regarding the manner in which people attained greater levels of power and the strange creatures that roamed the forests, mountains, and oceans outside the city walls, believing it would be possible to find the power to separate Kurama from himself safely at a school was a bit farfetched to be honest. Even once he graduated, there was no guarantee that this world might hold such information. Going to Beacon was simply a means to an end. By spending some time here and gaining a Huntsman's license he would effectively be giving himself a tool that would enable him to roam the world with fewer restrictions. From there it was all a matter of time and patience until he found something capable of sending him home to fulfill his promise.

The rest of his journey to Beacon went mostly undisturbed, even by his two counterparts. Aside from the news reporting yet another dust robbery conducted by Roman Torchwick and a fellow initiate of his finding that his stomach wasn't capable of handling the rough ride generated by the airship, it was only a matter of minutes before the craft had settled down and passengers began making their way towards the doors. Naruto followed suit, allowing himself to be gently pushed and pressed by the mass of bodies all eagerly moving outside in the hopes of taking in the long awaited sight. Naruto hadn't even descended from the ramp when he too found himself mesmerized by the sight that greeted him.

Beacon Academy, his new home for the next four years. In spite of himself Naruto couldn't help but admit that he found the school to be impressive. The Shinobi Academy back home, while large and imposing when he was younger, would have looked like a small storage shed compared to the sight before him. It was like looking up at a castle, one situated high in the sky to the point that its towers nearly pierced the heavens. To think that so many people looked to this with hope and wonder certainly made sense to him. It was an image that couldn't be denied, even now.

"**Eh, I've seen better,**" Kurama snorted.

"_I'm surprised you would have had time in-between your bouts of mindless destruction to stop and appreciate the architecture of the cities around you before you laid waste to them,_" Naruto replied.

"**Keep it up kid and I'll lay waste your psyche next,**" Kurama threatened.

"**Enough, both of you. Perhaps we should focus our attention on making our way to the initiation hall. After all, the sooner we get this journey underway the sooner we can begin searching for the answers we seek.**"

"_A fait point_," Naruto admitted, looking around for the best route to take. "_Which way should we go? They didn't exactly give us a detailed map of the campus before coming here._"

"**I'd suggest heading in the general direction of that explosion that's about to take place,**" Kurama suggested.

"_The what?"_

"**3…2…1…"**

Before he was able to ask what the countdown was for an explosion from the Academy's courtyard rose into the air, the sound ripping its way through the wind and to his position. He wasn't the only one surprised by this as several people were either starring in disbelief or whispering, obviously curious as to what might have occurred. Several people thought it might have been some sort of show, something the school had cooked up as a display to welcome new students but Naruto knew better. Having spent most of his life as a Shinobi he knew an explosion like that could only have been caused by something volatile going off. He just hoped whomever had been caught in the blast was unharmed though, given the present company, he didn't doubt they were.

"_I'm almost afraid to ask how you knew that was going to happen._"

"**I'm a creature of destruction, it's part of my nature to be able to sense anything related to tendencies.**"

"_I'll keep that mind_," he said as he began making his way across the campus to see the crater left in the wake of the explosion.

Much like himself Naruto found the sudden chaos had been noticed by many of the new students and had become a point of interest that had caused them to crowd around what looked to be an interesting show. Despite the large press of bodies Naruto managed to expertly maneuver his way to the front where he had a clear view of the people involved. He knew there were two as he'd heard them arguing well before seeing them and, while he wasn't certain, he had a suspicion that he knew them somehow. His suspicions were confirmed when he reached the front and saw a shock of white hair pulled into a side ponytail berating a younger girl. Needless to say it wasn't difficult for him to recognize Weiss Schnee though the fact that she had somehow managed to end up at the same school was surprising. What was even more so was the girl she was yelling at. Ruby Rose, holding her hands up defensively and wearing her distinctive red cloak, looked to be at a lose of what to say. How or why she was here at all were questions that quickly rose to the forefront of his mind but they were quickly pushed aside as he registered the scene. It was obvious from the tension in the air that everyone expected a fight and while he didn't expect them to devolve to that he nonetheless felt obligated to prevent it before it could happen.

"Excuse me, ladies, you're causing a bit of a scene," he said, loud enough to be heard over Weiss' shrill voice.

"What? Excuse you but do you have any idea who I- "Weiss began only to stop midsentence when she caught sight of the blonde.

Ruby took notice as well, her silver eyes shifting to him before widening in both shock and surprise. Both girl's mouth's fell open, their surprise at seeing him at Beacon evident and for a moment he worried that a fly might decide to take refuge inside one of them, adding to the apparent entertainment. They must have realized this themselves as their jaws quickly snapped shut only to open once more as they blurt out at the same time.

"Naruto? Wait, you know him?" they spoke simultaneously.

A round of chuckles could be heard from the crowd, many wondering if this had all been planned as some sort of spectacle for them to introduce themselves at Beacon and make a name for themselves. It died an icy death, however, as Weiss' sharp glare cut through each and everyone of the people standing around.

"I'm surprised to see you two here, especially you Ruby. Aren't you a couple years too young to be attending Beacon?"

"Uh, heh heh, I'm a special circumstance," she said sheepishly.

"Special Circumstance?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yea, Headmaster Ozpin asked me enroll himself."

"What? The Headmaster himself asked a child to attend? That's ridiculous," Weiss scoffed.

"Not really. I got in on a recommendation," Naruto pointed out.

"Well that makes more sense."

"A recommendation from General Ironwood," he added.

The flabbergasted look Weiss gave the two of them was nothing short of entertaining. Regardless, the lack of shouting and a potential fight had caused the crowd to disperse, leaving only the three of them standing in an empty courtyard where a large crater now lay.

"_Will all new students please make their way to the auditorium for the welcome speech,_" an announcement sounded, causing the large crowd to begin making its way towards the main building.

"Well, looks like we're being called," Naruto commented.

"Indeed. Shall we go?" Weiss asked, the implication that it would be herself and Naruto minus Ruby not at all lost on him.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."

"Very well. I'll see you inside," she said, her eyes flickering between them, narrowing momentarily on Ruby before she stalked off towards the school.

"She seems, um, nice," Ruby said.

"Yea, she's a little high-strung but once you get to know her… she's pretty much the same."

"So you two know each other?"

"Not really. I meet her only once at a charity gala her father was hosting. We sparred for a bit but nothing beyond that. Honestly, I didn't expect to see her here."

"So, are you from, like, a well off family like hers?" she asked.

"Nope. I just happened to help save a local village from some Grimm and it turned out to be an important shipping port her father owned so he invited me as a way of showing me off and saying thanks."

Ruby gasped. "That sounds awesome. You saved a whole village on your own? You have to tell me everything," she said, geeking out.

"Only if you tell me exactly how you landed an invitation to attend Beacon two years early from the Headmaster himself," he replied, completely unfazed by her reaction.

"Oh, uh, well," she said, going from excited to awkward in a matter of seconds.

"Tell you what, we make it through initiation and we promise to exchange stories. Deal?"

"Deal," Ruby agreed, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.

"Good. Now let's get inside before we miss the opening speech."

/-/

If you were to ask Naruto later what exactly had been said by the Headmaster, the best you would have gotten was a completely inaccurate summarization of what he thought he'd heard. Of course, it was doubtful that anyone else would have been able to recall just what had been said either. The Headmaster had been brief, which was a small mercy all on its own. Add to that the fact that Naruto had never been very good when it came to listening to long speeches and multiply that by the two other voices bickering in his head, neither of which were his own, and you had a recipe for an event that started one moment and the next thing he knew ended when people began pushing him towards one of the many doors leading to the locker rooms.

As it turned out they would be spending the night sleeping in the auditorium, a prospect that not everyone was excited about mostly because it would be on a hard, cold floor. Naruto couldn't care less. Living the life of a Shinobi he'd learned how to sleep regardless of the environment and weather conditions not to mention the few years he'd spent as part of Raven's tribe. Add all of that together and the prospect of sleeping inside on a marble floor was nothing short of bliss. Things would only continue to improve with him gaining a bed, assuming he passed initiation of course.

One of the perks of being sent to Beacon on a recommendation by General Ironwood was that you were afforded the ability to go shopping for the necessities on his lien. While the temptation had been there to buy everything under the sun (not to mention a boatload of instant ramen) Naruto had managed to reel himself in enough to make some smart choices. Among the clothes and sleeping bag he would no doubt need, he'd also taken some time to gather several different assortments of Dust. While this might seem unusual, Naruto had spent a great deal of his time with Raven's bandit camp learning everything he could about Dust, its many applications, and the many different ways he might use said resource in his various Shinobi tools. After several experiments (some of which he'd only narrowly avoided being killed by thanks to Hyorinmaru's intervention) he'd not only managed to recreate some of the smoke bombs and exploding scrolls he had before, he'd also created a few unique tools that would prove useful in his initiation tomorrow.

As the night had begun to wind down, Naruto sat in his small corner of the room, holding his katana in his hands as he meditated. While he could hear people whispering all around him, he didn't pay them too much attention. Keeping his katana close by was as much for their benefit and safety as it was his own. Not only that but it was also important for them to go in tomorrow with a game plan. While they didn't have any clues regarding what they might encounter, the one thing that was for certain was there would be Grimm in abundance and he'd have to think carefully about how he wanted to react either by facing off against them or using his new self-made tools to give him a quick escape.

"Hello~"

The singsong voice and tone was enough to garner his attention. Cracking open his eyes he was meet with a pair of lilac ones staring straight into his own. Instinctively he made to move away but, having set himself against the wall, found he had no room to maneuver. It was only after he noticed a certain young girl with short black hair with red highlights and silver eyes did he allow himself to relax.

"Names Yang, nice to meet you. Hope we weren't disturbing your little nap."

"Meditation actually," he corrected, not at all annoyed by the interruption. "So you're Ruby's sister."

"How did you know?" she asked, her cool, confident smile quickly vanishing before being replaced with suspicion.

"Ruby told me about you after we first met."

"Oh, so you're the guy who helped her when she was attacked by those beowulves," she said, a bit more relaxed.

"I told you he was real," Ruby complained.

"Sorry sis, I just have a difficult time believing you made a new friend because you're, well…" she looked her sister up and down before giving her a lopsided smile.

"Just because I'm socially awkward doesn't mean I'm incapable of making friends Yang," she snarled.

"Sure, sure, anyways I'm Yang. Nice to meet you."

"Uzumaki Naruto but you can just call me Naruto," he said, taking her hand and giving it a shake.

"So, I'm curious. Why were you meditating with your sword?"

"It's not weird, obviously. I sometimes sleep with my baby," Ruby piped in, earning a groan from her sister.

"Don't worry, I'm not offended. Honestly, I do this every night as a way of centering myself. My katana is a very unique weapon so I find a bit of mediation helps me to understand its workings a little better."

"Unique?" Yang asked.

"Yea, it's a family heirloom of sorts. It's unusual compared to your more modern weapons that can transform."

"I see. Can you tell us a little more about it?"

"I could but I'll wait to give you a demonstration during tomorrow's initiation. I find it helps to show rather than tell."

"I hear ya. My Ember Celia are the same way. They use their actions better than words to get the point across."

"So, any idea about what's going to happen tomorrow?" Ruby asked.

"Not really. I haven't heard much. It makes sense though considering that the Headmaster would want to keep it secret in order to better test our abilities. Honestly, I would have thought you had a better idea considering that you're the one here on the Headmaster's recommendation."

"What? No, no, he didn't tell me anything," Ruby stammered, waving her hands in a desperate attempt to ward off their attention.

Naruto and Yang chuckled, Ruby's antics being rather amusing to the two of them. Unfortunately, not everyone shared their sentiment as a young white haired girl stomped her way over to the group, her expression showing she was rather annoyed with them.

"Hey, some of us are trying to sleep," she said before her eyes caught sight of Ruby. "You!"

"Oh gods, it's happening again," Ruby stammered as she leapt into her sister's arms.

"What's happening again?" Yang asked.

"You're the girl that blew us up this morning."

"Wait, that really happened?" Yang asked with Naruto finding the humor escalating with each passing moment.

"Relax Weiss, we were just having some fun."

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"Well I was having a pleasant conversation with these two," he pointed out.

"Wouldn't you have preferred to talk with people more civilized and perhaps a little more considerate of other people, especially when they're trying to sleep?"

"Well excuse me ice queen but we're not all stuck up like you," Yang shot back.

"How dare you," Weiss hissed.

"She may have a point. It's getting late and we'll all need some sleep in preparation for tomorrow's initiation," Naruto said, attempting to defuse the mood.

"Finally, someone with some sense in their head," Weiss said before glancing down at his weapon. "Why do you have your weapon with you? Shouldn't you have stowed it away with the rest of your gear like everyone else?"

"I'm used to having it around. Think of it as a very deadly safety blanket."

"Even so aren't you the least bit concerned someone might try to take it off you in the middle of the night? Not that anyone here would stoop to committing such an atrocious act," she quickly added.

"No worries. Hyorinmaru has several safety features built into him. The last guy that tried to nick him off of me nearly last his hand as a result."

"I'll take your word for it," Weiss said, giving the katana a cautious look. "Anyway, I'm going to bed and I suggest the rest of you do the same."

As they watched Weiss stalk off in a huff, the rest decided that it was probably time they turn in as well. Mentally exhausted from the events of the day, namely meeting two acquaintances at a most unexpected time, he settled down with Hyorinmaru clutched closely to himself. His thoughts slowly drifted to home, to the promise he'd made to Sakura and the fight he'd had with his friend Sasuke. Unlike before when such thoughts caused a pang of quilt to spike inside him, this time he felt hopeful. He had a goal now, a purpose, and he was slowly but surely working towards achieving it. He didn't know how long it would take him but coming here to Beacon would surely be the first step in a long journey that would eventually lead him home whether by some obscure knowledge obtained through his time here or the intense training that would help him to familiarize himself with Hyorinmaru and possibly use his power to send him back. Either way it was better than trekking across the continents with no real destination in mind hoping to come across something that might help.

Before long sleep overtook him and the world around him faded into silence and darkness.

/-/

One thing Naruto could count as a plus when it came to living with a group of bandits was that you were always prepared to wake up early. Despite what most people would like to assume, Raven kept her camp on a very tight shift. They were bandits, sure, but that didn't mean they could ignore sending people out to gather supplies, scouting out potential raiding spots, and also maintaining some sort of security in the area to ensure the Grimm weren't becoming too worked up or that a Huntsman might have caught on to their trail. All in all, while most would have complained it at least made sure they had all the essentials and were kept alive.

This simple regimen was something Naruto had stuck with and it showed when he awoke before any of the other teenagers, Weiss included. While it might have felt odd at first the fact that he wasn't waiting for someone else to finish with their shower or rushing to get themselves a hot breakfast made up for it in turn. By the time he'd showered and put his gear together he started to notice the others beginning to trickle in as he made his way to the cafeteria. He'd barely sat down when Weiss settled herself into the seat opposite him, a beleaguered and annoyed look on her face. Obviously something was bugging her but Naruto wasn't quite sure what it was nor was he certain it was a good idea for him to ask. He opted instead for a pleasant greeting, something which he felt was impossible to get wrong.

"Good morning Weiss. You sleep well?"

The icy glare she shot him was enough to freeze him in place. He was almost afraid that if he moved he might soon find her rapier piercing straight through his heart.

"I slept well enough, thank you for asking," she replied with no real fire in her words.

"I see," he said, slowly allowing himself to relax before asking, "did something happen this morning?"

"Whatever do you mean?"

"It's just, you looked rather annoyed when you sat down. I didn't know if something had happened or if someone had said something to upset you."

"Well, seeing as how you asked there is something that's bothering me."

Naruto quickly found himself regretting his decision to ask her what was wrong as she went into a tirade of what had transpired in the locker rooms. While the interaction between her and the blonde boy, Jaune or so he assumed that was his name, it seemed somehow a point of immense disgust to her that he'd not only flirted with her by calling her Snow Angel (a nickname that Naruto had to suppress a snort of laughter at hearing) but also having the apparent audacity to not even know who Pyrrha Nikos was. Neither did Naruto, for that matter, though his knowledge of the legendary athlete was a bit broader than Jaune's. He'd at least heard of the young woman and her achievements here and there throughout out his travels but, considering that she was a celebrity he had known of her as nothing more than a celebrity which everyone knew and fawned over but not someone he really needed to care or waste time pursuing. He had more important things to worry about.

Still, despite the fact that Jaune hadn't known her by name or face it had somehow irked Weiss to no end. Naruto couldn't understand why. It wasn't as if he'd attacked her or insulted her name. At best he'd been ignorant of a well-known celebrity, certainly not something that could be considered a federal offense.

"I mean, can you believe he wouldn't have known who Pyrrha Nikos of all people was?" she finished.

"**I can't believe we've been forced to sit here and listen to this snow pixie squawk so much,**" Kurama commented.

"Yes, I can," Naruto answered, ignoring Kurama completely.

"What?"

"It's not difficult to think there might be people out there who don't know certain celebrities. I barely know who she is myself. Not a whole lot of opportunities to get spun up on current events when you're traveling through the wilderness like I was and even then I tended to prioritize anything that might hinder my ability to move from one village to another rather than getting spun up on the latest celebrity news. This Jaune may have come from something similar. Where he's from someone like Pyrrha may be a bit of an unknown. You have to remember we're in Beacon. People from all walks of life come here to learn how to be Huntsman and Huntresses not just the upper crust of Atlas or the tournament circlet of Mistral."

"I suppose. Still, it doesn't excuse the way he acted around her. No doubt she was mortified just speaking with the boy."

"Are you saying that because that was your reaction or are you simply assuming on her behalf?"

"Of course she would feel that way. Why wouldn't she?" Weiss argued.

"Did you actually ask her?"

"Well no but- "

"Then how do you know for certain?"

"Well- I- "the question seemed to have caught the heiress off guard, her confidence and certainty beginning to crumble away as she attempted to find a way to answer his question without actually lying about the answer.

She was saved when an announcement came on for them to start heading for the cliffs where initiation would begin. Wasting little time Naruto rose from his seat and began making his way there. He was soon joined by a congregation of other hopefuls all dressed in a rainbow of colors and styles, caring with them weapons of every make and imaginative model one might think up. It wasn't difficult for them to find the cliffs themselves as several teachers led the way, ensuring no one got lost on their way there. Once they arrived they each took a position on a square metal panel upon which he noticed the Kingdom's emblem had been emblazoned. Though he had some misgivings about it, namely what exactly the panel was meant for, he nonetheless took position, listening to the Headmaster give a speech with half an ear while the majority of his attention was directed to Hyorinmaru.

"_Hey, Kurama, anyone of these guys stand out to you?_"

"**Not really. They're skilled and powerful, I'll give them that, but most of them are fairly weak compared to you. That big brawny blond is a real meathead too,**" he said, pointing out a tall, muscular young man wearing armor that had a bird on the front, "**aside from him the only other one who peaks my interest is that tall redhead.**"

Naruto glanced over to see who he was talking about. He recognized the girl immediately as Pyrrha Nikos. True to his word he knew little about her but having traveled through Mistral he'd heard more than a few people talking about her. She was quite the celebrity with several clips from her tournament bouts being played on televisions in bars or storefront windows. She had several advertising deals and was someone many younger people wanted to either be or be with. Seeing her here he could only guess as to her reasons for coming to another Kingdom entirely. Most had expected her to go to Haven but her announcement that she would instead attend Beacon had thrown many people for a loop. Looking her over he could generally see why Kurama had taken an interest in her. Just looking at the build of her body and the way she held herself it was enough to show him how skilled she was.

"**That girl is certainly on another level. Might even throw you for a loop if you're not careful. Still, I'd need to experience her in a fight to get an accurate gauge on her power.**"

"_I understand,_" he replied. "_How about you __Hyorinmaru?_"

"**I'd have to agree with Kurama. Not many of these teenagers really strike me as impressive. That Nikos girl comes close but only just. The one person who does strike me as odd is Ozpin.**"

Curious, Naruto glanced over at the Headmaster. He stood nonchalantly next to Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy Headmistress, holding a cup of what he assumed was coffee while he continued his speech. While he would have argued that he didn't see anything odd about the man, he knew better. Being a shinobi, blending into the world around you and not sticking out was a major part of ensuring you could accomplish your mission. The less attention focused on you the better and anything you did to make yourself blend into the crowd was an absolute must.

"_What about him do you sense? Anything you can give me to work with?_"

"**You remember Raven?**"

"_How could I not?_"

"**I sense a similar power in him, something that is strangely akin to her own. Yet, the more I focus on him the more I begin to sense something more, something different. He is certainly no ordinary human but I'm not quite sure exactly what he is. At best I'd advise keeping a watchful eye on the man. He is certainly more than he appears to be.**"

Naruto took note of what his partner said before something caught his attention. Glancing over he noticed one of the silver plates had risen at a 60-degree angle and its occupant was now sailing through the air. It didn't take him long to figure out what was going on when the second panel followed suit, springing forward and sending the student sailing out over the forest canopy. Before long it would be his turn and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling at all nervous about the prospect of being launched out into a forest.

"Um, sir, what how exactly are we supposed to land?" Naruto heard someone ask nervously.

"That is something you'll need to come up with on your own, Mr. Arc," the Headmaster replied.

"Alright, um, is there perhaps a way we can, um, enter the forest without being catapulted off a cliff?"

"I assure you this is the quickest and most direct method available to you."

"Yea but that doesn't really answer my gah!"

The boy's last words were cut off as his pad timed out, launching him over the canopy and into the distance. Naruto knew his time would be coming soon and tensed his legs, ready for the impact. Sure enough it hit and at the final moment propelled himself off the launch pad, giving himself an extra surge of speed as he sailed through the air. In his previous world moving at such high speeds was common practice. More often than not they would travel through the upper portions of trees to avoid detection by enemies and mask their numbers. As such they had learned how to navigate the tree line while moving quickly and preventing the wind from blinding them. Two of those factors came into play but one problem remained. How was he to land safely without breaking his legs.

"_Kurama, think you can spare some chakra? It's going to be a rough ride._"

"**I'll spare what I can but not much. There's a lot of those Grimm creatures down there. You'll need all the chakra you can spare to make it out of this alive.**"

"**If I may Naruto I might have a suggestion,**" Hyorinmaru piped in.

"_I'm all ears._"

"**Recall our training in the bandit camp where I attempted to teach you how to control your reishi to walk on air?**"

"_Yea, I remember falling on my ass and face a lot,_" he replied.

"**While your control could use some work we may be able to use what little control you do have to land safely.**"

"_Worth a shot. I'll give it a try. Everyone hang on._"

"**To what? You're the one in control. We're just along for the ride,**" Kurama complained.

Naruto ignored him, focusing on forming solid platforms of reishi beneath his feet. Imagining it to be something similar to the tree climbing lessons from his youth he focused on making the air beneath him solid. While he wouldn't be able to control it for long it didn't matter. His main objective was to slow himself down and his training would take care of the rest. Seeing a decent spot in the distance he focused the reishi beneath the soles of his feet before pushing off. The technique worked, allowing him to push off at a thirty-degree angle in a manner that would allow him slow himself without twisting his ankle or outright breaking it. He did it a few more times, alternating between pushing himself right and left to reduce his momentum. The moment he began to feel his control over his reishi begin to wane he took advantage of it, aiming himself for a nearby tree and diving for it. Grabbing onto a nearby branch he spun himself around, using it to slow him further before letting go at the apex of his twist and landing safely on the ground.

"_How was that?"_

"**A bit showy,**" Kurama remarked.

"**Your reishi control still needs work,**" Hyorinmaru added.

"Everyone's a critic," Naruto grumbled as he began stalking through the trees.

/-/

The moment Ruby's feet hit the ground she sped off into the forest with one thought in mind, _find Naruto_. Her reasons for zeroing in on the blonde ninja were completely platonic and rational and she didn't have a crush on the guy despite what her older sister might think or tease her about. They just happened to have a lot in common like having really unique weapons, using flashy moves while fighting, and he even slept with his weapon like she used to do, not that there was anything wrong with it. She'd simply slept with it because it was her baby and she didn't want Zwei using it as a giant chew toy. Sure, she might occasionally nap with it from time to time but Huntsman in the field slept with their weapons too and that was for protection against the Grimm. Yea, that was it.

She'd considered other options of course, none of which actually made her feel any better. Her second choice aside from Naruto was to find her sister Yang. Being two years older than her and having more experience she would be an excellent choice as a partner. The only problem was that she was her sister. They already lived together at home so spending another four years as her partner, let alone being on the same team, would be difficult enough with just the teasing alone. Then there was Jaune. She'd met him shortly after the opening speech yesterday. He was nice and awkward like her. He had a cool weapon too although a bit low tech by today's standards. Still, he didn't look very strong which was an obvious downside. Her last option and arguably the worst was the white haired girl Weiss. Ruby shuttered at the thought. The girl was mean with a capital M. Honestly; she didn't know what her problem was. The explosion hadn't even been her fault. She'd been the one waving the dust vile around which caused her to sneeze. Even after that she'd acted snobbish and moody, making her less appealing by the minute.

She shook her head, pushing those thoughts from her mind to focus on the task at hand. She needed to find Naruto, hopefully before someone else did, grab a relic to secure her place here at Beacon and then go on to not only have the coolest team the school had ever seen but become a heroic Huntress that rivaled her mother. As she used her semblance to race through the forest something caught her eye. A shock of blond hair drew her attention. It could have been Naruto or Jaune or even her sister Yang. Regardless it was as good a sign as any that she'd found who she was looking for and she took off after them.

Weaving her way through the trees Ruby was elated when she spied the familiar sword strapped to his hip along with his short blond hair. It was only when she spied something else, something terribly familiar that she skidded to a stop and gazed in horror at the sight that greeted her.

"No," she whispered

/-/

Weiss Schnee was the epidemy of perfection. It was how she was raised, to be the very best no matter what. Its why she had been given the best education, the best training, and had the greatest expectations placed on her shoulders at a young age. Still, there were some things money couldn't buy and lessons that couldn't be taught in the classroom, or so her elder sister Winter had told her. Certain things could only be attained through your own ambitions and some lessons had to be learned by experiencing life itself. As such she'd broken away from her father's influence by coming here to Beacon, a place so far from his grasp that she would have some breathing room with which to grow into her own.

To say things had started off on the wrong foot would have been an understatement. No sooner had she arrived at Beacon when some child caused an explosion of fire, ice, and lightening to erupt around them. That was followed up by their noise the night before which had made it difficult for her to get to sleep. The next day had come with a glimmer of hope when she'd run into Pyrrha Nikos whom she'd heard was attending Beacon as well but that was quickly soured by the appearance of some blonde boy who started flirting with her. She couldn't be bothered to remember his name and had instead retreated to the cafeteria once she'd noticed Pyrrha was gone, no doubt trying to escape the blonde.

Again she'd found a glimmer of hope when she noticed Naruto sitting by himself. While she knew very little about him herself, he'd come highly recommended by her sister, something that few people could proudly say they did. She herself found him to be better company than most. He was calm, respectful, certainly levelheaded. Unlike most men who would flirt with her simply for her name and the power and influence that came with it Naruto showed no interest in any of those things. When they spoke he looked her in the eye and she could say without a doubt that he was truly listening to her. He was certainly one of the more preferable people she'd met at Beacon, let alone the Kingdoms, and assuming she couldn't find Pyrrha she would just as easily be content with having him as her partner.

The moment she was launched into the air and descended into the forest using her glyphs she was off searching for her potential partner as well as the relic. Her technique was flawless, something her sister had trained her vigorously in, and her place here in Beacon was all but assured. She was a Schnee after all and Schnee's did not fail. She would find the perfect partner, obtain a relic, and go on to be the leader of their team. It was only natural that she would be chosen as such.

As she progressed through the forest she found it wasn't difficult at all to hear the sounds of combat coming from somewhere nearby. Already she could hear growls and whining as Beowulves were cut down by whatever student they'd been unlucky enough to come by. No doubt it was Pyrrha or perhaps even Naruto as they were both more than skilled enough to hold their own against such a common and weak foe. Quickening her pace she could see flashes of a blade as it cleaved a Beowulf in two and soon after the tall figure of Uzumaki Naruto.

Weiss smiled to herself. While others might have considered this luck, she knew better than to subscribe to such an unruly concept. It had been skill which had guided her to this clearing and no doubt enabled her to find a worthwhile partner. Now she needed only to obtain a relic and be made their team leader and her future would be secured. As Naruto finished off the last of the Grimm Weiss stepped out into the clearing. She was about to clear her throat when movement from the other side of the clearing caught her attention. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest when she recognized the black corset and long red cap. It didn't take long for the girl to notice her as well; the same horrified expression Weiss wore already forming on her face.

"No."

/-/

The moment he'd slain his final Beowulf Naruto could feel the two pairs of eyes boring into him. Glancing back and forth he could see not only Weiss but Ruby as well standing in the clearing with him. What he found rather odd about the girls were the expressions they wore. Horror mixed with confusion. At first he thought it might have something to do with the Grimm but, considering that this was a school where people were taught how to kill such creatures that answer didn't seem to fit. He then fell back to the only other option available to him. Somehow they must have been tipped off to his _condition_ but how they'd figured it out he wasn't quite sure.

"_Kurama, did you do anything to show off your chakra?_"

"**Of course not. You hardly needed my assistance during this fight. It must have something to do with the terms of the initiation.**"

"_What do you mean?_"

"**Seeing as you obviously weren't listening to the Headmaster I'll fill in the blanks for you,**" Hyorinmaru replied. "**Aside from obtaining one of the relics he mentioned that partners will be determined by eye contact. Basically, the first person you make eye contact with is your partner for the next four years.**"

"_Oh, I see. Well that makes sense,_" he said before following with a pregnant pause.

"**You have no idea which of them you saw first, do you?**" Kurama asked.

"_Can you blame me. I was busy killing these Grimm. I didn't exactly have time to take note of whom I was going to be partnered with._"

"**Well you'd better figure it out quick. The longer you take to decide the less time you'll have to collect a relic and return,**" Kurama pointed out.

"_You two wouldn't happen to have noticed who I saw first, would you?_"

"**Naruto, don't think for a moment that you can shirk your responsibilities onto my scaly shoulders,**" Hyorinmaru chided.

"_Kurama?_"

"**Fuck you!**" came his reply.

Having taken a good amount of time _talking_ with himself, Naruto glanced more to the girls. With a sigh he put on his best warm smile before speaking.

"So who- "

He had barely said two words when two pairs of arms grabbed either of his and began a tug of war with him in the middle of the clearing. All at once Naruto understood what it felt like to be a stuffed toy being fought over by two little kids and the thought did little to ease his conscious.

"Let go of him, he's mine," Weiss yelled.

"I got to him first, he's mine," Ruby yelled back.

"Ladies?" Naruto tried to interrupt.

"I saw him first so he's my partner," Weiss argued.

"I got here first so he's mine," Ruby fired off in retort.

"Girls?" he said, a little louder.

"Let go!"

"You let go!"

"Enough!" Naruto roared.

Wrenching his arms free from their grasp, he shot each of them a fierce glare that had them sinking back before taking a calming breath.

"Look, I'm not entirely sure which of you I made eye contact with first but right now is a very poor moment for us to be arguing about it. We still need to get a relic and get back before time runs out so I suggest we put our energy towards accomplishing that. In the meantime, if we come across someone who's not yet been partnered up we can discuss splitting up. Until then, why don't we work together so we can all get into Beacon?"

"That sounds like a reasonable suggestion," Weiss replied.

"Yea, I can do that," Ruby said.

While their agreement to the plan should have made him feel better, the fact that neither girl had stopped glaring at one another while they replied to him had him feeling just as nervous as before.

"Gods, this is going to be awkward," he groaned to himself. "What cosmic being did I piss off to deserve this?"

* * *

**Shorter chapter than I'm accustomed to writing but still long enough to satisfy me.**

**Currently visiting family for the holidays so, while I did bring my computer with me, I may find myself distracted from time to time preventing me from putting out updates. As it is I will be working on the next chapter of "MY Sister's Keeper" so look forward to an update sometime before the end of the year and somewhere in the beginning.**

**Had a few people commenting on how they'd like to see the teams divided up with a few suggesting that I replace Jaune with Naruto and have him partner up with Pyrrha. While I admit that is an interesting concept, it's not one I'm looking to try with this story. Maybe some other time but not this time. I already have the teams planned and what the names will be so look forward to seeing them next chapter. Just have to figure out how I want the giant Grimm battles to go down with Naruto as an added variable. Don't worry, I won't be spending a whole lot of time on the initiation portion. I like to get it out of the way quickly so we can move onto bigger and better things.**

**Hope you're all enjoying the holidays, whatever it is you may celebrate. I personally celebrate Christmas though I've reached the point where I'm more focused on the time I get to spend with my family rather than getting presents. Honestly, when I was younger I used to want movies and video games and now when my folks ask me what I want for Christmas or my birthday I always think "what do I need for my apartment that I don't yet have." It's funny how I've reached the point where I use the holidays to furnish my home.**

**Well, best wishes to you all. I look forward to your reviews. Have a wonderful holiday season.**


	5. Chapter 5: Team NWBYR

**Somewhere in the Emerald Forest…**

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm following my partner. Duh!"

"I'm not sure whom you're talking about. I don't seem to see anyone else here aside from me and MY partner. However, considering that this is the Emerald forest we'd be more than willing to accommodate you by escorting you until you found your own partner or a parental figure."

"I'm not a child and Naruto is my partner not yours!"

"If you're not a child then why are you acting like one?"

This small snippet of the feud that had ensued the moment Naruto, Ruby, and Weiss found themselves interlocked in a three-way gaze had been going on for quite some time and had started to sound like a broken record not five minutes after it had started. How such a thing as a three-way gaze could actually happen was beyond Naruto's ability to fathom. In truth he figured that the two girls had locked eyes with one another but, rather than settle for the other, they latched onto the only other person within the vicinity which unfortunately happened to be him. While at first he'd attempted to stop the feud, it soon became apparent that neither girl was listening to him, too engrossed in their fight to register even the Grimm he'd been killing as they made their way towards the temple and relics.

"**I swear Naruto if you don't get these two bitches to shut the fuck up I'm going to manifest my chakra and do it myself!**"

Kurama growled yet another threat, one of many he'd made since their trio had been formed. While at first he'd found it amusing to see the gigantic fox demon curled up on the floor of his prison with his forepaws covering his ears in a vain attempt to drown out the fighting, the humor died soon after. Now Naruto found himself honestly considering allowing Kurama to have his way, if only to gain some reprieve, and figure out how to explain the missing initiates later.

"**While I don't usually agree with the Demon's uproarious outbursts, I'll make an exception this one time. These young ladies have greatly overstayed their welcome. They need to control themselves and their emotions now otherwise I will do it myself,**" Hyorinmaru chimed in.

"_Look, if I could get them to quite down I would have done it a while back but neither of them will listen. Just tell me we're drawing close to the goal. That at least will ensure we have others to help with the situation._"

"**We're nearly there. I can sense more of these Grimm as well as a few humans nearby. It won't be long before we come upon these so called **_**Relics.**_**"**

"**Yea and then you can ditch one of these bitches and settle for a new one for the next four years,**" Kurama added.

Naruto shuttered, imagining how the fallout of that might end up. Neither seemed at all preferable with Ruby no doubt being prone to breaking down in tears and Weiss being very much the opposite. He briefly considered ditching them here and simply giving up. That would leave them as each other's partner and allow him to try again next year, hopefully without this same predicament. While the thought gave him a chuckle he reluctantly brushed it aside. He had a promise to keep to Sakura and giving up now would only hinder his progress in finding a way back home.

Still, the fact that he had two girls clamoring to be his partner was bizarre. Naruto had never been what some might call a Ladies man. That title had always belonged to Sasuke who somehow found himself the subject of every girl's conversation as they practically drooled at the very sight of him. While he'd been envious of that before, being on the receiving end of it put things into a whole new perspective. Was this something that Sasuke had to tolerate on a daily basis? Probably not, all things considered. Maybe when Ino and Sakura were involved. Sasuke was very driven and obsessed with finding and exacting revenge on someone for some reason or another. He didn't know all the details but it was quite clear that girls and relationships in general had been far from his mind.

Their journey, which seemed to take longer than one would have expected, came to a merciful end when the tree line thinned. A large open field with a ravine dotted with ruins on one side and another smaller set of ruins just across the field where they could already see several people standing around came into view. Naruto's heart leapt at the sight. More people meant a possible escape from the troublesome twosome he'd been dealing with and maybe even the possibility of dumping one of them off on someone else. He silently considered the option of dumping them onto each other and finding himself a new partner but quickly discarded that idea. It would be much easier on him if he had only one of the girls mad at him and not both. Knowing his luck, they'd somehow bond over their irritation of him discarding them both and team up to make his life a living hell for the next four years.

"Hey, it's my sister," Ruby squealed, taking a moment to stop squabbling over who was Naruto's real partner and racing off towards a young woman with long blonde hair.

"Ruby," her sister squealed, catching the speeding huntress and enveloping her in a tight hug. "You made it. I knew you would."

"Yep, I even have the coolest partner and he was someone I already knew," she chimed in.

"Really? Who is it?"

"That's something I'd like to know as well," Weiss said as she approached the group.

The tone of her voice was enough to earn a groan from Naruto as realized she'd reignited their feud all over again. Was there no end to this torment?

"He's right here, duh," Ruby said, grabbing hold of Naruto's arm.

"You must be mistaken. Uzumaki Naruto is MY partner. He was simply polite enough to allow you to travel with us to retrieve our relics and find you a suitable partner."

"I'm not the one who's mistaken it's you. I locked eyes with him first. You're just too much of a spoiled brat to admit when you're wrong," Ruby shot back.

"Excuse me?" Weiss snapped, the two girls descending once more into their squabble.

Yang watched the pair, a confused look spread across her face as she tried to make heads or tails of the situation. Her older sister instincts told her that it must have had something to do with the tall blonde they were with and she immediately turned on him, locking him in her crosshairs. Typically, she would have had less words and more actions for anyone foolish enough to think they could toy with her sister but her ire quickly deflated when she saw his face. The word haggard came to mind as he lost all will power to try and weasel his way out of the situation. The moment their eyes locked his expression became one of pleading as he silently mouthed the words _Help me_. Yang had to suppress a laugh, realizing that the boy wanted nothing to do with his current situation and conveniently raising her opinion of him as a result.

"Hi, I'm Yang Xio Long, Ruby's older sister," Yang said, taking hold of the blonde and snatching him away from his captors.

Both girls shot her indignant glares but one sinister glare of her own had the pair backing off and resuming their own squabble soon enough. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to be out of the line of fire, at least for now.

"Uzumaki Naruto, we meet last night," he said, shaking her hand.

"We did?" she asked, confused for a moment before the events of the previous night slowly came back to her. "Oh, right, we did didn't we."

"Yep, seems we're running into one another at every possible moment," he joked or at least tried to but the humor died in his throat as the girl's volume increased.

"So, which of them is your partner?" Yang asked in a hushed tone.

Naruto glanced back at the pair, motioning her away so he could speak without the risk of being overheard. "I honestly have no idea. We somehow managed to end up in the same place all at the same time and before I could figure out what had happened they started bickering about which of them was my partner. They haven't stopped since and I'm starting to consider quitting the initiation just to get away from them and start over next year."

"Whoa, hold on there, let's not do anything drastic. Have you tried talking to them about it?" she asked. The indignant glare Naruto shot her was answer enough and she held her hands up in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry, just making sure."

"Sorry, I know you mean well being Ruby's sister and all but it's just been a nightmare. They haven't stopped arguing once and I'm starting to lose my sanity. Any reprieve from this would be welcome."

"Well, why don't you grab a relic and we'll start making our way back? I'm sure the teachers can help sort this whole mess out and neither of them will be able to argue with that decision. Not only that but you'll have Blake and I to talk to on the way back," she said, motioning to her partner who silently waved back. "Oh, well, you'll have me to talk to at least."

Naruto offered a weary smile, glad to have some small light of hope in contrast to this living nightmare. Granted, he was being overly dramatic. Weiss and Ruby were nice enough girls and would no doubt become cherished friends as time went on. However, their current behavior had worn away his patience to the point that he just wanted to find some quiet spot where he could just relax and maybe even get some rest.

Walking over to the ruins of the temple he looked over the _relics_ that had been left for them. He immediately recognized them as chess pieces, parts of a board game that he and Raven would occasionally play. It had reminded him of a similar game they'd played in his own world call Shogi, something which his friend Shikamaru was a genius at playing, though the rules and pieces were somewhat different. Picking up one that he knew to be the knight he stowed it away in his pouch before turning to the others. He considered telling them to get their own pieces but, considering they still thought of him as their partner, he decided to deal with the fallout later.

"**Heads up, we've got a large Grimm incoming. Looks like two of them," **Kurama gave a warning.

"Fuck me," he hissed.

"What was that?' Yang asked.

"Everyone, listen up, we've got a pair of large Grimm headed our way. I'd suggest we start making our way back to the school before they get here."

"He's not wrong," Yang's partner Blake replied. "I can hear them in the distance."

"You can?" Yang asked, starring at the girl's ears with obvious surprise. "That's some pretty great hearing you've got."

"Oh, um," the girl said, suddenly embarrassed or was she nervous?

It didn't matter as the sounds of trees falling over soon filled the air, alerting the Huntsmen to an incoming Grimm. Seeing that the time to run had passed all of them took ready stances, drawing their weapons as they faced the forest. Those whose weapons had long range capabilities checked their magazines and Dust cartridges, making sure they wouldn't be caught off guard if they tried to fire off more shots than they actually had. The noise grew louder, denoting their enemy's imminent approach. Naruto took point with Yang close behind him. When the Grimm emerged they'd charge it head on with the others offering support. If they were quick they'd be able to overwhelm the beast before it caused too much damage. As birds flew from their perches, the group readied themselves for a fight. What emerged was far from what they'd expected.

"YEEEHHHHHAAAAWWWW!"

An Ursa came barreling out of the tree line, running as fast as its legs would carry it and wearing what Naruto could only assume was an expression of pure anguish. Atop the beast was a girl dressed in a white blouse and pink skirt with orange hair and a large hammer on her back. She was riding the beast like it was the most natural thing in the world, an expression of pure joy and excitement etched across her features. The Ursa made it halfway across the open field before it collapsed from exhaustion and, finding it had lost the will to live, subsequently began dissolving before the group of dumbfounded teenagers.

"Aww, it's broken," the girl said, sounding legitimately disappointed by the fact.

"D-did that girl just come riding in on an Ursa?" Blake asked.

"I saw it but I still don't believe it," Yang replied.

"Nora!" they heard someone shout.

Emerging from the tree line a young boy with stark black hair tied back in a ponytail wearing a green outfit that reminded Naruto of home and with a single pink strip in his hair ran out to the girl. He stopped before the dissolving Ursa corpse, supporting himself on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He must have been chasing after them the whole time which no doubt would have made for a peculiar sight for anyone passing by who noticed a girl riding an Ursa and being chased by a young boy.

This day just kept getting weirder.

"Please, don't ever do that again," the boy managed to say only to look up and realize that the girl, Nora he heard him call her, had skipped on over to the relics and was currently eyeing the Rook.

"I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle," she began chanting as she balanced the chess piece on her head.

"NORA!" the boy shouted in irritation.

"Coming Ren," she said cheerfully, completely unfazed by his irritated tone.

"Well, that was anticlimactic," Yang commented.

"_Yea, I was actually expecting something a bit more threatening,_" Naruto commented.

"**I never said that was the Grimm threat,**" Kurama replied.

"_Then where is it?_"

"**Incoming,**" Hyorinmaru chimed in.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!"

As if to answer his unspoken question a boy in white armor wearing jeans and a hoodie with a sword strapped to his hip emerged, barreling out of the forest. Close behind him was a redheaded girl in bronze armor carrying a round shield and spear in her hands, glancing back at the forest. Naruto didn't get the time to ask what was chasing them as a massive Death Stalker plowed its way through the tree line, sending debris flying in all directions. Instinctively everyone dodged out of the way, already realizing that the moment to escape had passed them by.

"What the hell?' Yang cried.

"Where did that Death Stalker come from?" Weiss asked.

"No time for questions," Naruto said, quickly falling into his training. "Everyone split up and surround it. If we attack it from all sides, it'll have a difficult chance of overpowering us."

Receiving a nod from everyone they quickly split and moved, taking up positions around the giant scorpion. The creature took notice of them, lashing out with its pincers and large stinger. Unfortunately for the beast most of the combatants had long range capabilities, enabling them to attack without getting too close. Even Naruto could maintain his distance and attack it to some degree. Having gained the advantage, he was certain they would be able to handle the Death Stalker well enough until he heard something that made his blood run cold.

"KKKKAAAAWWWW!"

"_Kurama, please tell me that's not- _"

"**Another Grimm, sounds like a bird,**" he confirmed.

"Fuck!" he yelled only to look around and realize he'd said that out loud. "Uh, we have another Grimm incoming."

To emphasize his statement a black shadow cut across the field as a massive Nevermore soared into view. Catching sight of the large group of teenagers it swooped down, spraying the field with razor sharp feathers as it flew by and showing no concern whatsoever for it's fellow Grimm as the projectiles pinged off its bone armor. The group scattered with Yang, Blake, Ruby, Weiss, and Naruto ending up near the ravine while the others stayed nearer the Death Stalker, a wall of feathers separating the two groups.

"Everyone alright?" Naruto called out.

"Yea."

"I'm fine."

"Where did that Nevermore come from?" someone asked.

"It must have been drawn here by the negative emotions," he heard a girl reply.

Showing little remorse, Naruto shot a glance over to Ruby and Weiss. The pair averted their gazes, Ruby showing a more apologetic expression while Weiss maintained a neutral mask apart from the light dusting of red in her cheeks. Sighing, he picked himself up and looked to see where the Nevermore was. From its flight path it would be flying over the ruins before making another pass for them. They could intercept it and attempt to knock it out of the air but that would leave the Death Stalker to their companions.

"Hey, you need any help over there?" he called out.

"We should be fine. We'll handle the scorpion, you guys take care of the bird," he heard the other male call out.

"Alright, we'll kill it quickly and then come to back you guys up."

With something of a plan he motioned to the girls and led the charge into the ruins. Truth be told Naruto wasn't at all ecstatic about fighting a giant bird while navigating the dilapidated and deteriorating ruins that hung over a very deep ravine. That said, they didn't have much of a choice. The Nevermore had the advantage thanks to its wings and would no doubt shred them to pieces in the open field. Out here though they had a chance of clipping those wings but also at the risk of losing their footing and falling into the abyss. The girls had already begun their assault with Yang somehow managing to leap into the things mouth where she had begun unloading her gauntlets into it. Ruby and Weiss had put their feud aside, focusing on the Grimm but choosing their shots wisely so as not to hit Yang. That just left him, uncertain of how he should approach the thing.

"_Any ideas guys?_"

"**I do have one suggestion that might work but we'll need to wait for the right opportunity,**" Hyorinmaru replied.

"_What is it?_"

"**Kido, it's a special soul ability that Soul Reapers can use. There are several different Kido, each with their own unique effect. I know of one which might prove useful but we'll need the others to help us finish the job.**"

"_Sounds like a plan. What's the Kido you were thinking of?_"

"**Its called Geki. There's an incantation you'll need to recite along with some hand movements. Make sure to focus your energy on the creature and it should work. I'll show you how its done and tell you the incantation.**"

After listening and watching the hand movements shown to him, Naruto formulated a plan, one that could prove victorious so long as everyone worked together.

"Girls, I have a plan but I'll need your cooperation."

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"I have an ability that's part of my semblance. It'll allow me to paralyze the Nevermore for a short time. While its immobilized, I'll need all of you to finish it off."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Weiss asked.

"I'm open to suggestions."

The girls were silent for a moment, each considering how to go about killing it. Ruby glanced over at Weiss, eyeing her rapier before looking at Blake and her weapon. He eyes grew wide and in a moment she began jumping up and down, waving her hand in the air.

"You don't need permission to speak, Ruby. You can just tell us," Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I have an idea," she said before explaining what she had in mind.

"That's the absolute worst idea I've ever heard," Weiss scoffed.

"You have any better suggestions?" Naruto asked.

She scowled, glancing away in defeat while Ruby beamed with pride.

"Alright, start getting everything set up. I'll go let Blake know what we're up to," he said before heading over to her. "Hey Blake, could you get Yang please?"

"On it," she replied, tossing her weapon just as the Nevermore made a pass.

In an expertly done throw her weapon curved around the blond, wrapping itself around her waist in the thick ribbon before she gave it a pull. Caught off guard but adapting quickly, Yang sailed through the air before skidding to a halt near Naruto. The Nevermore wasn't as lucky, crashing through some of the ruins before flapping its wings aggressively to get itself airborne once more. With the creature temporarily out of the game Naruto took the opportunity to explain what they were doing and set about putting their plan into action.

Having managed to rise above the ravine, the Nevermore hovered above the opposite peak, looking around in an attempt to regain sight of its prey. Naruto rushed forward, taking a moment to gather himself before focusing his spiritual energy within him. Putting a hand out he began writing symbols in the air, chanting an incantation as he did it and focusing on the Nevermore as his primary target.

"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rodanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw at your own throat."

"Bakudo #9: Geki!"

His body began to glow with red hue, almost like his aura was reacting to the incantation. At least, that's what he hoped the others assumed. In truth it was a side effect of the incantation, his soul reacting to the incantation and focus he had as he held his gaze on the Nevermore. His intervention had been successful as the bird suddenly seized up, falling to the ground with an audible crash with its head just jutting over the lip of the cliff just as he had planned.

"Now! Do it now!" he instructed, struggling to keep his focus.

Due to its large size and overwhelming power he was having a great bit of difficulty maintaining his control over it. He would only last a few more seconds at most before he collapsed from exhaustion. Pushing himself any further would undoubtedly lead to unwanted complications, not to mention questions he didn't want to have to answer anytime soon.

The others wasted little time enacting their part of the plan. Between Yang and Blake the two had stretched out her weapon's ribbon while Weiss pulled it back using a gravity glyph with Ruby at its center acting as the projectile to their sudo-slingshot. At his command Weiss released the glyph, shooting Ruby forwards before a series of glyphs along the cliff face were generated, allowing Ruby to race up them. At this point Naruto's energy gave out and he collapsed to the ground, his concentration breaking. While the Nevermore was released from his grip, it had no time to react as a crimson missile raced up the cliff, catching its neck in the blade of her scythe and subsequently decapitating it all in one move.

"Well done," Blake called out.

"Hell yeah," Yang chimed.

"I'll admit, she has some talent," Weiss said.

"Did we win?" Naruto asked from his spot on the ground.

"Sure did," Yang replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "looks like the others took care of the Death Stalker, no problem."

"Good, good. Now, can someone help me up and possibly carry back to the cliff. I don't think I can walk on my own."

With a soft chuckle Yang took hold of his outstretched arm, hoisting him over her shoulder and walking off with him hanging from her back.

"**This is so demeaning,**" Kurama commented.

"_Oh, shut up,_" Naruto replied tiredly.

/-/

"… making them team JNPR, led by Jaune Arc," the headmaster announced.

Applause sounded from the announcement, polite though not undeserved. Jaune scratched the back of his head nervously, giving a sheepish smile as he led the rest of his team off stage.

"Now, as has long been the tradition of our schools, teams are typically made up of four Huntsmen each. That being said, there will be times when some teams are formed which require some of those traditions to be put aside as a greater emphasis is placed on the talents and showcasing of its members. As such it is with great honor that I announce our first five-man team."

"_Oh no,_" Naruto groaned internally, already predicting what the headmaster was about to say and wondering if it was too late to opt out and try again next year.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, Yang Xio Long, and Ruby Rose collected the knight chest pieces. As such they will be known as team NWBYR (Newbern), led by Uzumaki Naruto."

The applause, sprinkled with some confusion from the crowd, sounded once more as their names and faces were presented to the crowd. Naruto smiled as best he could, all the while cringing inside. This was not how he'd imagined things going for him.

/-/

"Ozpin, are you absolutely sure about this?" Glynda asked.

Not five minutes after finishing the initiation and making his way to his office, his deputy had immediately spoken her mind. It was something he had come to expect and even admire about the woman. Glynda Goodwitch was not one to simply ignore the Goliath in the room and would immediately voice her concerns whenever she had them. Additionally she would also give any possible alternatives that came to mind, knowing better than to simply complain about the Headmaster's decisions without having something constructive to offer in return.

"I'll admit it is a little unorthodox but it's not like we haven't bent the rules a little in the past," he pointed out.

"While I will agree with that, I'm more concerned by just how far you've bent them. It's one thing to allow Miss Rose into Beacon two years early. It's another thing entirely to allow the creation of a five man team. Certainly not even you could have been blind to the way she and Miss Schnee have acted around one another."

Ozpin would be hard-pressed to claim he hadn't. The dislike the two young women held for one another was palpable, enough so that many people had kept their distance for fear of being caught in the crossfire. That said, he could also see how Mr. Uzumaki felt about it, finding the whole affair tiresome rather than something with which to feed his ego.

"I have faith in them as well as their leader's ability to bridge the gap between them. Having said that I will keep a close eye on them. Should their feud escalate beyond his capabilities to handle I won't simply ignore it and hope it burns itself out."

"Let us hope it doesn't come to that," Glynda replied.

/-/

"Well that was certainly interesting," Weiss commented.

"I'll say. Never expected to be on a five-man team," Yang commented.

"Woman," Weiss clarified.

"Same diff and you're forgetting we have at least one man with us or have you forgotten your partner so soon?" Yang asked.

Naruto made no attempt to correct anyone. He was still reeling from the fact that not only did he have two partners but that he'd been made the leader of his own team. Any arguments made to the headmaster had been quickly shut down by the man as he explained to him, in a manner that suggested any attempts to change things would be futile, that he'd made the decision based on their actions in the field. Naruto thought otherwise but realized he didn't have much in the way of hopes of convincing the headmaster to reconsider his decision. As a result, he'd been saddled with two girls, both of whom refused to allow the other to be alone with him or allow him to be alone period. He could only pray that they'd calm down as time went on, otherwise it would be a long four years.

Before long they reached their dorm, surprisingly without incident, and Naruto swiped his scroll over the keypad to open it. He took only a couple steps inside before standing there, starring at the scene before him. There was nothing wrong with the room per se. It was a decent size with minimal furnishing to include their beds, a couple of desks, dressers, a closet, and a single bathroom. The main problem lay with the number of beds provided to them. As most teams were expected to only include four members there were, as expected, only four beds. That just left the question of who was going to be the odd man out in the scenario and Naruto had a terrible feeling that he was going to be that man.

"Well, this is interesting," Yang commented.

"It makes sense. They only expected a four-man team, not five," Blake replied.

"So does that mean some of us are going to have to share?' Ruby asked.

Silence pervaded for a moment as everyone took the time to digest what she'd just said. Ruby's face slowly began to turn the same shade of red as her cloak, a detail that did not go unnoticed by her sister.

"Um, you know, I wouldn't mind, um, volunteering my bed," she said quietly.

"Volunteering your bed for what, Miss Rose?" the stern voice of Miss Goodwitch asked from behind.

Ruby jumped and nearly tripped over her cloak. She wasn't the only one as almost every other member of her team had done the same with Naruto being the only exception.

"I was, um, just volunteering to give my bed to Naruto to sleep in," she said sheepishly.

"That's very considerate of you, though that leaves me wondering where you might sleep," Miss Goodwitch pointed out, giving her a stern look that dared her to suggest anything inappropriate.

"She can sleep with me," Yang piped in, coming to her sister's aid as she locked her in chokehold. "We did it all the time back home. It'll be just like a sleepover, albeit for four years."

"I can assure you it won't be nearly that long. It'll be a couple more days before we can have another bed moved into your dorm. Until then I was about to offer Mr. Uzumaki alternative accommodations but it seems everything's been taken care of."

Naruto had to repress the whimper that threatened to escape at the thought of having a private room if only for a couple days. He liked his partners, he truly did, but not so much their current behavior. Weiss was smart, sophisticated, and level headed while Ruby was cheerful, excited, and an all-around fun person. Since coming to Beacon, however, he'd seen a new side to the girls, one that had him fearing for his life. It was obvious things were only going to get worse before they got better which meant he'd need to think of some way to mitigate the damage before his friends did something that had him caught in the crossfire.

With their sleeping situation settled, Naruto decided to go ahead and claim the bed near the closet. Yang and Ruby took the bed on the opposite side with Blake taking the one next to theirs and Weiss claiming the available bed next to his. He could see Ruby wasn't pleased about being so far away from her shared partner but it was something she'd have to deal with for now.

"So, Naruto, how did you get into Beacon?" Yang asked once they were all settled.

"Huh?"

"Yea, you said you'd tell me once we got in," Ruby piped up.

"Yes, I must admit I'm curious as well. My sister told me a little of what happened but I'd like to hear it from your perspective."

"Oh, alright then," he said.

With his katana sitting in his lap, Naruto began recalling the events that had transpired that night. When the question was brought up of what had led him to Atlas he merely mentioned he'd been traveling through Mistral on a training mission and had decided Atlas would be his next stop. Any mention of his true intentions were glossed over as he knew none of them needed to know, let alone believe such a story. Hell, he'd had a hard enough time explaining it all to Raven.

The moment the story got to the Grimm invasion everyone leaned in noticeably. Ruby's facial expressions were too cute and Naruto had to exert all of his will power not to laugh out loud. She was eating it up and audibly gasped when he got to the part of the Goliath breaking through his ice wall with only himself standing in its path. He made sure to emphasize the fact that he felt completely out of his league and in no way thought himself capable of taking it down on his own. Regardless, Ruby still gazed at him in awe, making him feel just a bit proud of himself as he recalled (and maybe even embellished a few moments) of his battle with the Goliath right up until it was impaled by a large icicle as it jutted from the ground.

"That. Sounds. Amazing!" Ruby squealed.

"I must admit it does sound very impressive. It's certainly in line with what my sister Winter told me," Weiss confirmed.

"Badass leader," Yang piped in.

"Yea but certainly not something I'd want to do again anytime soon," he admitted.

"The fact that you faced a Goliath and lived is impressive in of itself," Weiss pointed out.

"So how did you two meet?" Yang asked, suddenly taking a turn in the conversation. "I've been wondering about that since you and Ruby got into a fight the night before initiation."

"That actually happened after the Goliath incident."

"Huh?"

"It turns out the village I'd saved was actually an important shipping port used by the SDC. Weiss' father decided to thank me personally by inviting me to a charity ball he was hosting."

"Father really just wanted to show him off. I doubt he actually cared about Naruto in the slightest," Weiss said in an irritated tone.

"Yea, I figured as much. Once I found an opportunity I decided to slip outside for some air. No one stopped me or came after me. That's when I saw Weiss training out in the courtyard and decided to join her."

"Oh, so it was love at first _fight_," Yang joked, wiggling her eyebrows for emphasis.

"Excuse me?" Weiss choked.

"Yang, that was terrible," Ruby said with obvious annoyance.

"Yea, I have to agree that was terrible," Naruto said, "and we just had a friendly spar, nothing more."

"Alright, if you say so," she said though the look she gave said she had something more planned for the future. "So what happened after?"

"I left Atlas and made my way to Vale where I met Ruby. I'm sure you already know that story."

"Yea, she told me about it. Kind of surprised she didn't make it up."

"I told you so!" Ruby griped.

"Speaking of, how did you end up coming to Beacon so soon?" Naruto asked.

"Oh, um," Ruby said nervously as she realized everyone's eyes were on her.

"She got into a fight with Roman Torchwick," Yang replied.

"Wait, what?"

"Yang," she whined.

"That's difficult to believe," Weiss scoffed.

"I have the news article to prove it," Yang challenged.

"I think I heard about that. Didn't Torchwick get away though?" Blake said.

"Yea, but it wasn't my fault."

"No's saying it is. Why don't you tell us what happened?" Naruto suggested.

Embarrassed, Ruby began to recall the events that had transpired that night. In contrast to Naruto's story which had every one of the edge of their seats in awe, Ruby's had them more or less cringing. While she'd managed to subdue his subordinates easily enough (something which surprised no one) attempting to take on Torchwick himself had possibly been the worst idea she'd had all night. Despite this she'd still rushed forward, attempting to subdue the criminal and nearly becoming a smear on the concrete roof as a result. It was only after Miss Goodwitch had intervened that the tide of battle had turned although Torchwick managed to escape and Ruby, thinking nothing wrong with her actions, had excitedly asked Goodwitch for her autograph before finding herself in a police station being lectured.

"That's when Ozpin showed up and offered me a place at Beacon," she finished.

"That's… interesting," Naruto said, still unsure of what to make of the story.

"It's insane is what it is," Weiss chimed in. "You're lucky to be alive."

"I was fine. My Uncle Qrow trained me."

"Which means little when facing off against a trained Huntsman like Torchwick. You're lucky he didn't kill you."

"Still, it does seem odd that the headmaster would ask you to join Beacon simply because you managed to survive an encounter with Torchwick," Blake pointed out.

"Hey, my sister earned her place here same as we did," Yang said, coming to her sister's defense.

"She's lucky they didn't lock her up and throw away the key. The fact that Miss Goodwitch was willing to send her off with a slap on the wrist is minimal compared to her actions being borderline vigilantism."

"How are my sister's actions any different from Naruto's? He's not a licensed Huntsman and yet he got praised and even a recommendation to be sent here."

"For one thing he was fighting Grimm and kept the damage AWAY from the village. Ruby was fighting Torchwick in the middle of the city. She's lucky no one else was hurt during their fight."

"None of that matters now," Naruto interrupted, hoping to put an end to the arguments. "What matters is we're all here and we've earned our place. Speaking of which, with everything that's happened I think we've also earned a good night's sleep as well."

"I concur. I could really use some rest, especially with classes being first thing in the morning," Weiss agreed.

With things settling down they got ready for bed with Naruto slipping into the bathroom to give the girls some privacy while they changed. Before long they'd each climbed into their own beds with Ruby and Yang sharing one. Though the sisters argued and teased one another it wasn't long before they'd each drifted off to sleep. Naruto soon followed suit, clutching his sword tightly to himself as the first day of the next four years came to an end.

/-/

Sleep came and went for Naruto all throughout the night. He assumed it must be nerves given the fact that he'd just started the first step to a much larger journey that would hopefully lead him back home. As such he didn't really get a full night's sleep, finally giving up on the prospect around six in the morning. With little else to do and not wanting to wake his teammates so early in the morning he instead snuck out to go for a run and get some exercise.

The cool morning air was welcoming and helped to ward off the sleep that threatened to once more lay claim to him. Running along the path that surrounded the school he found himself passing by a tree that seemed oddly familiar to him. Taking a moment to inspect it he realized that all it was missing was a rope swing and it would be just like the one outside the Ninja academy in Konoha Village.

Thinking back on it, he'd spent a great deal of time on that swing. Come to think of it he'd spent a lot of time alone in general. He would always see the other kids either with friends or family. Having neither for quite some time he'd always been envious of what everyone had, what he had been denied. It had been years before he understood why and even then it still didn't seem fair. To have his family taken away only to be marked as the vessel for a demon and treated as an outcast. He'd been dealt a shitty hand from the very beginning but despite that he'd found a way to make it through and he would continue to do so now.

By the time he was finished with his run and had taken a shower in the communal area, Naruto began making his way back to his dorm. From the screams he heard it was obvious everyone was up with no doubt Ruby and Weiss in yet another fight. Letting out an exasperated sigh he swiped his scroll, unlocking the door and stepping into the screaming match that had ensued.

"- have any idea what time it is?"

"I said I was sorry."

"That doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is you woke me up with a whistle. Who does something like that?"

"I tried waking you before but you refused to get up."

"That's because I need adequate beauty sleep you dolt."

"Yea, like that'll help."

"Excuse me!"

Not even an hour into their first day and already the two of them were at each other's throats. Naruto silently wondered if the headmaster's reasoning for lumping him together with them had been some crackpot plan to use him as a means to bridge the gap between them or if perhaps it was all an elaborate prank at his expense. While he didn't want to think ill of the man, he was quickly starting to suspect it was the latter.

"So what did I miss?" he asked Yang and Blake who were dressed and standing off to the side watching the feud.

"Ruby woke up, saw you were gone, woke us up to help her find you and subsequently pissed off the ice princess as a result."

"Ah," he said, somehow unsurprised. "Guess I'll leave a note next time."

With how loud they were screaming at one another, Naruto decided it was best to not add to the screaming match. Instead he put two fingers together, held them up to his mouth, and gave a sharp whistle. The effect was instantaneous with everyone covering their ears at the sharp noise. Having gained their attention, he gave both girls a disappointed look, one that neither could muster the courage to argue against.

"Now that I have your attention there are some things we need to discuss. First, your little catfights need to stop."

"Excuse me?"

"But she- "

He held up one hand, silencing them before they could attempt to argue. "I don't care who did what to whom. We are partners, all three of us. That means we're going to be around one another a lot for the next four years. So whatever beef you have for one another either put it aside or talk it out but we can't have this being a daily problem."

"It's not my fault," Ruby began to argue.

"Yes it is. You're acting like a child," Weiss accused.

"So are you," Naruto pointed out, causing Weiss to flinch in response. "You acting just as much of a child as she is. If you want to be taken seriously then you need to act the same way. Screaming and yelling will only do the opposite."

"Yea," Ruby agreed proudly.

"Don't start, you're in trouble too Ruby," he rounded on her, causing her to cringe. "You're being just as bad. You need to be respectful of others. This is a whole new level of maturity and you need to step up if you're to be taken seriously."

"Okay," she said, her eyes drifting to the floor guiltily.

"Alright, now that's out of the way get dressed and we'll make our way to breakfast."

As both girls begrudgingly set to work getting themselves ready for the day, Yang nudged Naruto in the side to gain his attention.

"Nice job reigning them in. I can see why Ozpin made you the leader."

"At least one of us knows. I'm still trying to figure out that man's logic," he admitted.

As soon as they were ready they headed down to the cafeteria as a team. By now they had at least thirty minutes left before class began, allowing them some time to eat though he made a mental note to try and cut off any infighting before it began again in the future to prevent them from losing any more time. Once everyone had gotten their food they quickly found a place to sit. Conveniently enough their sister team had saved some for them. Nora, the orange haired girl he'd seen riding in on an Ursa, had waved them down, inviting them to sit with their team.

"Isn't it awesome we all made into Beacon?" she asked.

"It is nice to see some familiar faces," the black haired boy sitting next to her said. "Hello, I'm Lie Ren."

"Uzumaki Naruto," he said before subsequently introducing the rest of his team.

"It does seem a bit odd that Headmaster Ozpin would make you a five-man team."

"Perhaps he saw something in them yesterday when they took down the Nevermore?" the redheaded girl suggested. "Hi, I'm Pyrrha Nikos."

"Hello," he replied, looking at her and for some reason getting the nagging feeling that he knew her from somewhere but couldn't quite place it.

"That's not much of a reaction," Weiss pointed out.

"What do you mean?" he asked confused.

"She's Pyrrha Nikos," she restated, earning a nervous smile from the girl.

"Yea, she just introduced herself."

"Don't you know who she is?"

"She looks familiar but I'm not sure why."

Weiss quickly explained who she was, recalling her victories in the Mistral tournaments and her exemplary skills that had people calling her a prodigy.

"Oh, okay," he said, completely unconcerned as he continued to eat his breakfast.

"What do you mean _okay_?" she asked in an indignant tone.

"What do you want from me Weiss?" he asked, already feeling tired and it was still early in the day.

"A bit more of a reaction. You're from Mistral, aren't you?"

"You're from Mistral as well?" Pyrrha asked, her question somehow showing less curiosity and more caution laced with panic.

"I lived in Mistral for a few years, yes," he replied.

"And you still don't know who she is?"

"To be fair I wasn't at all concerned with the tournaments. I was focused on more important things," he said, earning a grateful smile from Pyrrha.

"I just assumed that your family would have had better knowledge of such things given your skills with your weapon."

"I highly doubt that," he said.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because my family's dead," he said bluntly.

All at once the mood at the table died. Everyone starred at him, not so much for the news of his family's passing but for the ease with which he said it like he wasn't at all concerned by the fact that he had no family.

"What?"

"I- "Weiss started but quickly found her thoughts derailed.

"I'm so sorry," Pyrrha said, coming to her rescue.

"Don't be. My parents died when I was still an infant. I don't really know much about them or remember them to be honest."

"Still, that can't have been easy," Ren replied.

"Hard to miss what you never had," he replied.

"That's a bit morbid," Blake pointed out.

"Well, at least you had other people who cared about you," Yang said, waiting for Naruto to agree. "Right?"

At this point Naruto had stopped mid-bit, the small bit of egg speared on his fork hovering over his plate. In truth things had started to get better once he'd been assigned to Team 7. Being together with Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi Sensei had helped him to feel a part of something greater, something he wanted to hold onto forever and cherish. Before that, however, things had been difficult.

Being an orphan and worse yet the child who unknowingly harbored a demon which had attempted to destroy their village had made for a difficult childhood. He'd never understood why the adults always treated him poorly or why parents told their children to avoid playing with him. He never received a greeting when he returned home, never had anyone else to celebrate his birthday with. Occasionally the third Hokage would visit but that was usually to check up on him or give him funds for the month. Any questions he asked the old man about his parentage or where he came from were always avoided. He was left in the dark with no justification for why. It had made for a very lonely time in his life, one he didn't care to reflect on.

"We should get going, class is going to start soon," he said, picking up his tray to dump his half eaten food before walking out of the cafeteria.

/-/

"**You're in a bit of a mood,"** Kurama pointed out.

"_Hush, I'm just a little irritated."_

"**A little? Naruto, you're radiating such negativity that even I'm starting to feel on edge.**"

"_I'm just a little annoyed by Weiss and Ruby. Maybe even the headmaster, I don't know. I'm just dealing with a lot right now and they're not making things easy._"

"**You say that as if anything in your life has ever been easy. I know I'm preaching to the choir, kid, but if you expected this to be smooth sailing then you're just fooling yourself. We knew this wasn't going to be easy the moment we took that first step along this path. Fact is we're going to be a dealing with a lot of setbacks. It may only be four years here but we've no guarantee that we'll find the answers we're looking for here within that time. Best get used to it and learn to roll with the punches.**"

"_Wow, that was actually quite sensible. Are you getting soft on me?_"

"**Hush! I'm merely looking out for me. I have to share a body with you, you know, so the easier this is for you then the easier it is for me."**

Naruto smirked, suppressing the laugh he had for Kurama's snippy remark but knowing it would seem odd given that no one else but him could hear him. He was right, though. They'd come here with no guarantee that they'd find the answers they'd been seeking outright. At best they would maybe find a few possible outlets for them to look into but, until they were finished with school, their ability to follow any leads they came across would have to be put on hold until they had more flexibility. Even so, it didn't make their current situation any easier. With Weiss and Ruby effectively acting like oil and water around one another it would take some time and effort on all their parts to get them to at least act civil. Hopefully he'd come up with something and soon, otherwise it was going to be a long four years at Beacon.

* * *

**So, despite my desires to have an update for World War Remnant precede this, I found myself hit with a bit of writers block and, rather than spend endless amounts of time trying to overcome it, I decided to move onto my other stories which I knew I had some stories waiting in the rafters for. Figured it was best to put WWR on hold while I worked on other things.**

**While I know some of you wanted me to put Naruto on team JNPR in place of Jaune, I started working on this with an idea already of what I wanted. Having him be part of a five man team was a major part of it and while I know some of you will complain, keep in mind this show has the added of allowing a girl into Beacon two years early, placing her on a team with an ex-terrorist, and her best friend forged his transcripts to get in so I'd say I have a little elbow room when it comes to making a five man team work.**

**Like many people I don't care for fanfics that retell the events of initiation. My rule of thumb is if it doesn't require retelling then skip it unless you have some constructive changes to make and even then don't spent a lengthy amount of time on it. As such, while the events of initiation were included I tried to make it as short as possible, getting across what I wanted and moving on.**

**I'll be working on My Sister's Keeper after this. I'll take another crack at WWR but not sure when I'll have an update for that. Better to focus on the stories that I at least have something in mind for. Big plans in the works for Sister's Keeper. I read everyone's reviews so I know what many of you want or are expecting. Hopefully what I have in mind exceeds or circumvents what you assumed is going to take place. I won't spoil anything so be on the lookout for an update in the coming weeks.**

**As always fav, follow, and review. See you all next time.**


	6. Chapter 6: School Days

**Beacon – Grimm Studies**

Naruto would be the first to admit that he'd never been a model student. It was an outright miracle that he'd managed to graduate from the Shinobi Academy at all and even after that he'd found he still had a difficult time when it came to mastering various forms of ninjitsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. That's not to say he hadn't put in the effort. He'd spent countless hours outside of school applying himself, focusing on his own personal studies and attempting to master even the most basic of Shinobi skills. It had been a long and arduous road, one he later found out had been complicated by the existence of a tailed demon sealed within him. After discovering that little nugget of information he'd found himself wondering just how differently life might have been for him had the events that had taken his parent's lives away and found him tied to the fate of Kurama. It was pointless to complain about it now but it was nonetheless something he occasionally reflected on.

This was one of those times where he found himself with ample amounts of time to reflect on his current situation. Despite its name **Grimm Studies** felt less like an in depth look into the creatures of Grimm, what they were and how they could be killed, and more like an hour where their instructor Professor Port, a portly man with a handlebar mustache and an eccentric ego to match, used the time to regale them with greatly exaggerated stories of his youth. It didn't take long for him to notice that such a thing must have been common place as many of the older students were already fast asleep, no doubt having learned early on that the class could be conveniently utilized to catch up on lost sleep. Not everyone was asleep, however, as he could see that Blake had a copy of her own **Grimm Studies** text book propped open, though this was mostly to hide the copy of _Ninjas of Love_ she was currently reading, the title giving him the sneaking suspicion it was closely related Kakashi Sensei's own _Make Out _novels. Next to her Yang was already fast asleep, her snores somehow NOT betraying her to their instructor. On either side of him his partners, Weiss and Ruby, were busying themselves with their own tasks. To his astonishment Weiss was somehow finding a way to glean notes from the lecture while Ruby in contrast was doodling.

"_Kurama,_" he said, attempting to get the Nine Tails' attention.

His call was meet with snoring and not from Yang. While he couldn't exactly see him in his cell (Naruto assumed the moment he closed his eyes he'd fall asleep) he could hear the creatures distinctive snoring echoing from within.

"_Kurama_," he said, again trying to rouse him.

"**Snort, grumble,**" was all he heard in reply.

"_Kurama!_" he shouted.

"**What!?**"

Naruto jumped in his seat, caught off guard by the tailed beast's snappy reply, and banging his knees on the underside of the desk as a result. His reaction didn't go unnoticed as Professor Port had ceased his lecture to regard the young man along with several other members of the class including his teammates. While most people would have found the situation embarrassing, Naruto wasn't one of them. He was used to being stared at like this as he often found himself in such situations back at the academy. As such he had also developed a knack for getting out of them. Well, to be fair, it was somewhat successful, just not when Iruka Sensei was involved.

"Is something the matter my boy?" Professor Port asked, gazing at him with concern (or so he assumed. It was difficult to tell given how bushy the man's eyebrows were).

"Not at all sir," he replied, quickly formulating an excuse, "I was just so enamored by your story that I got excited and tried to leap out of my seat from all the excitement."

Stares met him, the most notable coming from Weiss. His lackluster excuse didn't have any of them fooled and a few people actually starting chuckling to themselves, expecting Port to call his bluff.

"Splendid!" Port cried, silencing much of the laughter and leaving them all dumbfounded. "It's always wonderful to hear that my experiences can still illicit feelings of excitement and determination from my students. Why it's one of the core reasons behind my decision to leave the field and start shaping young minds. That said I would ask that you try to keep such feelings contained. Save them for when we face the Grimm for you'll need them more so then than in here my boy."

"Of course sir, sorry for the interruption."

"Not at all. Now, where was I? Ah, yes," Port said, immediately picking up from where he'd left off.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Naruto glanced around at those still looking at him. Several people were dumbfounded, having a difficult time figuring out just how he'd managed to evade a detention. A few of the older years gave him curt nods of acknowledgement, as if he'd passed some unwritten test and impressed them as a result. Of the stares he was most curious about, his partners' were at the forefront. Weiss' jaw had hit her desk, broken through the surface, and continued on down to the floor. Ruby, in contrast, was grinning from ear to ear, obviously proud of what her _partner_ had managed to accomplish. Even Yang and Blake looked impressed, the latter having actually put her book down to regard him. Once their attention returned to their previous tasks, however, Naruto rounded on Kurama.

"_Kurama, what the hell was that?"_ he snipped.

"**Hey, you deserved that. You should know better than to wake me from my nap**," he countered.

"_That's all you do is nap_," Naruto pointed out.

"**Not like I have much else to do. This cell didn't exactly come with an exercise room and entertainment center attached to it. Besides, listening to this guy droll on and on is enough to put the recently deceased out of their misery.**"

"_So, I'm guessing this guy is all hype and no skill?_" Naruto asked. He wasn't certain but he'd heard it said once that those who can't do, teach and Port seemed to be one of those individuals.

"**I wouldn't say that**," Kurama replied. "**I can definitely sense a great deal of power emanating from him. To be honest, I noticed it from several of the teachers already. It's different from how you Shinobi feel but, if I were to compare them, most of these kids here are all on the same power level with only one of you being significantly different.**"

"_Who would that be?_"

"**That Pyrrha girl, I think. The power I sensed from her is definitely greater than her fellow students, at least twice as much. Still, she's significantly weaker than this Port guy.**"

Naruto looked, giving the man a scrutinizing look. At first glance he didn't seem all that strong but, then again, that was a hallmark of the Shinobi. Making themselves appear weaker, more off balanced or unassuming were all useful tools they utilized to throw their opponents off guard before taking advantage. Port could possibly be the same way. His boisterous demeanor coupled with his appearance would no doubt leave many opponents skeptical of his abilities and skills. This was a Huntsman Academy, after all, so it would make sense that those who taught here had the knowledge, skills, and experience to back it up. Still, Naruto couldn't be quite certain of how true that statement really was.

"_Are you able to get in touch with _Hyorinmaru_?_" he asked.

"**What do you take me for, a telephone operator?**" Kurama snipped.

"_So, what, can you or can't you?_"

"**Just because he and I are both comprised of spiritual energy doesn't mean we can openly chat with one another regardless of the distance between us.**"

"_You did it before._"

"**Yea, because you had a physical connection to the sword, his conduit, or he was at least close enough for us to communicate with one another. Currently, the best I can do is tell you that he's stowed away in your locker and dormant, like I would like to be right now.**"

"_Fine, fine, I was just curious,_" Naruto groused.

"**Well once you actually have a physical connection, ask him his thoughts rather than interrupting me. Next time I won't stop at scaring you.**"

"_I wasn't scared, I was surprised. Besides, what could you possibly do that would be worse?_"

"**You remember the ordeal you were put through when you drank that expired milk after being made a part of team 7?**"

Naruto scrunched up his face, trying to recall what had happened. It was shortly after graduation and not long after they'd found out who their teams and instructors would be. Having been placed on the same team as Sakura he'd transformed himself into Sasuke, using the guise to get close to her and attempting to steal a kiss. He'd been thwarted, however, when his stomach had rebelled and he'd found himself on the toilet soon after, suffering in ways he wouldn't soon forget.

"_Yea, I remember,_" Naruto replied with a grimace.

"**Wake me again and I'll put you through something similar but worse in ways you can't even begin to imagine.**"

Naruto scoffed, assuming the Kyuubi was just making baseless threats, but he couldn't help the feeling of unease that followed. Kurama's chakra had a way of seeping out of him, especially when he was under great stress or pushed to the edge emotionally. Not only that but, because he was sealed within him, that meant they were technically the same being. All in all, it meant they shared the same experiences and there was no telling just how much of his own body the Kyuubi was capable of manipulating.

"_Fine but if it's an emergency you better not give me any flack._"

"**I can agree to those terms.**"

/-/

"So, as impressive as it was to see you talk your way out of a detention, are you going to tell us what caused you to jump in your seat?" Yang asked as they walked down the hall towards combat class.

"It's like I said, I got excited," Naruto said, knowing full well that the truth would sound ludicrous to them.

"Yea, no. I know how boys get when they're excited. I happen to have a natural talent for that," she said with a sly smile, "but what happened back there seemed more like surprise than excitement."

"As much as I hate to admit it, especially given the crass nature of Yang's explanation, that didn't seem at all like excitement," Weiss weighed in.

"Ah, you're just jealous that boys find me physically attractive," Yang replied.

"I'll have you know there were plenty of suitors vying for my affections back in Atlas."

"Were those _affections_ genuine or did your daddy have to pay them to act like that?" Yang shot back.

"Wha- how dare you!"

"Girls, please, can we save the fighting for class?" Naruto wedged in, hoping to cut them off before they started yet another fight.

"I suppose I must agree with my partner's guidance," she said.

"_Our_ partner," Ruby corrected, earning a searing glare from the heiress that she simply shrugged off. "Seriously though, if something was wrong you'd tell us, right?"

"Of course I would. There's really nothing you need to worry about," he assured her, though from the look he received she wasn't at all convinced.

Truth of the matter was there wasn't much he could say that would be accepted by his teammates. Anything he confessed to them from his origins to how he came to be in possession of Hyorinmaru to the fact that he shared a body with a demon in the guise of a nine-tailed fox wouldn't be accepted without proof. Even if he had something to show for it, he wasn't quite sure they'd readily accept him afterwards. Even he would have had some misgivings about sharing a room with someone who was essentially harboring an uncontrollable beast inside him.

"**Hey, I resent that comment!**" Kurama complained.

Oh, and said creature was also privy to his inner most thoughts which made things that much more complex.

As it was they were all making their way to combat class. As per the requirements of their lesson they'd changed into their combat gear and had also grabbed their weapons. With this being one of the first days of class Miss Goodwitch intended to use their lesson to get a baseline of their abilities and skill, molding future lessons to fit with the needs of each student as they were paired against an opponent that could challenge them. Oddly enough Naruto felt better now that he had Hyorinmaru in hand, something might which have seemed odd at first given that it meant having a total of two other voices in his head aside from his own. Still, the calm, collected nature of the spirit was a good contrast to Kurama, something which the young Shinobi greatly appreciated.

They took their seats in the stands, gazing down at the arena below. Just looking at it gave him flashbacks to the Chunin exams, a time in his life when he'd started to notice a change in his village as he'd slowly but surely begun to become someone other than the demon child. He wondered idly to himself if this arena would prove to be the same, giving him an opportunity to set himself apart from the rest.

Before long their sister team JNPR sat down beside them, each of the members giving them their own greeting with Pyrrha obviously maintaining her polite visage. Naruto nodded back to her, idly wondering if she would maintain that same persona even while in a spar. He wouldn't know without fighting her, however, and instead turned his attention to the floor where Miss Goodwitch was going over the rules. They were the basic things; fights being ended either through yielding of an opponent or aura going into the red. Her strict tone as she almost threatened to enforce her rules should anyone attempt to break them gave him the impression she wasn't kidding around. Once she'd laid down the ground rules, however, it was time to move onto the main event.

"Our first fight will be Pyrrha Nikos," she announced, to no one's surprise. Whispers and silent chuckles could be heard as people knew Goodwitch was starting things off with a show to set the bar and that whomever was chosen as her opponent would no doubt be trounced. "And her opponent will be Uzumaki Naruto."

No sooner had the words left her mouth when Naruto felt everyone's eyes zero in on him, including Pyrrha's. While he was used to being the center of attention, the fact that it had happened to him twice in one day and in back to back classes no less was a little disconcerting. He glanced over at Pyrrha, receiving a polite _I'm sorry_ shrug from the girl. He gave her a smile and polite nod in return, acknowledging the fact that this wasn't her fault. Knowing there was nothing he could do about his situation, he rose to his feet, Hyorinmaru in hand, and slowly made his way down the arena.

/-/

"Go Naruto!" Ruby cheered.

"50 lien says he kicks her ass," Yang replied.

"Yang!" Ruby cried.

"You're on," Nora replied.

"Nora, please don't," Ren sighed.

"There's little doubt that Pyrrha will win this bout," Weiss.

"Weiss, you traitor! He's our partner, we're supposed to root for him," Ruby snapped.

"I'm not a traitor, I'm simply pointing out the obvious facts. Pyrrha is a four-time tournament champion and while I have great faith in Naruto's abilities, he doesn't have her level of skill. She'll defeat him just like she has every opponent before."

"There's a first time for everything, though," Ruby grumbled.

/-/

Naruto stood on one side of the arena, facing Pyrrha who was on the other. Wearing his usual orange and black jumpsuit, he felt right at home in the clothes he'd worn for some many years. Being a Shinobi it was well known that having clothes which allowed for optimal movement were integral to their ability to carry out a mission. The same could be said of the Huntsman life as their ability to hunt and kill the Grimm required they wore clothing that allowed them to move freely without restricting their actions. He just wondered why they had to wear those awful school uniforms which were so restricting and itchy.

"_You ready to go Hyorinmaru_?" Naruto asking, his gazing never shifting to his opponent as he watched her stretch while they waited for Miss Goodwitch to prepare the arena.

"**I'm ready whenever you are, Naruto. A word of warning, your opponent is not someone to be taken likely.**"

"_Yea, I know. Weiss gave me a lecture all about her exploits_," Naruto groused.

"**It would seem she's more than just talk. I can sense a great deal of power coming from this young woman. I advise caution when fighting her. Best to feel it out before making any invested attacks**," he advised.

"_I'll keep that in mind_," Naruto replied, readying himself for the fight.

"Are both combatants ready?" Miss Goodwitch asked aloud. Neither Pyrrha nor Naruto answered, instead choosing to silently nod their approval while maintaining their gaze. "Begin!"

The words had barely left Glynda's mouth when Pyrrha shot off like a bullet towards Naruto. The young Shinobi noticed this immediately, instinct taking over as he drew Hyorinmaru to block her attack. He managed to bring it up just in time as the tip of her spear impacted the flat of the blade, preventing her from skewering him like a fish. She didn't let up, though, as she quickly shifted the spear into its sword form, using her shield to bat away his blade in the same movement before unleashing a furry of blows all meant to keep him from retaliating.

Naruto managed to parry most of them, receiving a few nicks here and there when her blade found an opening to take advantage of. Up above the aura meter slowly depleted, reflecting the same damage Naruto was taking as he fought off Pyrrha. After a while there was a lull in her attacks, one which Naruto took without hesitation. A swift slash from Hyorinmaru was followed by a wave of ice that pushed the young girl back and away, giving himself a moments respite.

"_Well, any doubts I might have had about her abilities have been retracted. This girl certainly lives up to the hype_."

"**Indeed she does,**" Hyorinmaru commented. "**I can't be certain but I may have ascertained what her power, her semblance, is.**"

"_Really? What is it_?"

"**I believe it maybe magnetism," he replied. "Or at least some form of it. I'm not quite certain but I noticed something emanating from her the moment she began her assault. Her movements were fast but more so than is typically possible for a human. I believe that armor she wears is less for show and more to help her manipulate her movements.**"

"_So, when she's in trouble or wants to get the jump on you then she uses her semblance to manipulate her armor and therefore her body," _Naruto concluded.

"**Precisely. I also noticed she attempted to do the same to me.**"

"_Really?_"

"**Yes, though I only allowed her to have a small margin of control. I could easily prevent her semblance from affecting me altogether but, given the setting, I thought it best to at least let her maintain the illusion she has something of an edge over you.**"

"_Huh, so if you're doing that then I'm guessing Kurama is the one messing with the aura meter?_"

"**That he is**," Hyorinmaru confirmed.

"_How are you doing that, by the way?_"

"**It's nothing overly complex. I'm just using your chakra to simulate aura just like the rest of these kids.**"

"_Huh, really?_" Naruto asked, surprised.

"**Yes, really. You've spent so much time around these people, I've been able to gain something of a grasp on it. As far as they're concerned, you have aura same as the rest of them.**"

"_Then I'd better lay off the jutsu or my_ aura _is going to drop fast,_" Naruto replied.

"**Leave that to me. I won't give you complete use of my chakra but if you let me know when you plan on using a jutsu, I'll give you a hand to ensure you **aura** doesn't take a hit.**"

"_Thanks, I appreciate your help._"

While this lengthy conversation may have seemed to be going on for several minutes, the fact of the matter was it only lasted a few seconds. It ended at just the right moment too as Pyrrha quickly sprang back into the fight, unleashing a flurry of blows onto Naruto. Instead of simply defending this time, he instead met her blow for blow, forcing her to have to either parry his attack or block it with her shield. The interesting thing was, rather than get frustrated by this, Pyrrha seemed to be enjoying it. The polite smile she'd worn quickly gave way to one that was genuine and Naruto found himself starting to enjoy himself as well. There was just one problem he was having at the moment.

/-/

"Wow, look at them go," Ruby cooed, watching the fight with stars in her eyes.

"Looks like I'm going to win our bet," Nora said to Yang.

"What are you talking about, you're the one who's going to fork over 50 lien," Yang shot back.

"He's so cool, I had no idea Naruto had this much skill," Ruby whispered to Weiss, ignoring the bickering that was breaking out next to her.

"Neither did I," the heiress confessed, starring at her partner in confusion.

Up until now, she'd had no idea Naruto was capable of going toe to toe with Pyrrha. She figured she could be forgiven for having thought that. Pyrrha was, after all, a well-known tournament champion who'd been featured on magazine covers, cereal boxes, and had been interviewed on several occasions. Naruto, on the other, was mostly an unknown. Aside from the incident in Mantle where he'd taken on and defeated a Goliath, she really didn't know much about his skills. Even when she'd had a chance to find out just how good he was, she'd immediately assumed he was yet another suitor attempting to get into her good graces by choosing an avenue the others hadn't before. Color her impressed to find he was nothing like them.

What really struck her as odd, though, was the way the two were interacting in the fight. It didn't have anything to do with them holding back. It was obvious from the start that Pyrrha intended to do just that and not long after she noticed the same thing was happening with Naruto. The two were on a completely different level and they were slowly but surely warming up to the idea of taking off the restraints they'd placed on themselves, one at a time. No, what was odd about Naruto were his movements. They partially seemed like they were his own and at the same time partially like they were someone else's. If one were to describe it was as if someone was controlling his movements, guiding him per se, and then in the next moment they were his own, completely natural as if he'd spent countless hours honing his skills. She brushed the feeling off, assuming it was just her imagination. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why someone with his skills had never been discovered until now.

/-/

"_She's so slow_," Naruto remarked.

While that statement was mostly true, it wasn't completely correct when it came to defining what was happening between himself and Pyrrha. To everyone watching the speed at which he and Pyrrha were sparring was incredibly fast. Had anyone else been fighting her they might have been overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity and relentlessness of her attacks. The fact that Naruto was able to keep up with her and even match her speed was simply a testament to the training he had undergone. Being a Shinobi, speed was paramount to achieving victory. Being able to quickly infiltrate enemy territory without being noticed, escaping before they had time to react to your presence, and even being able to perform Jutsu signs before an opponent could react or counter them often meant the difference between life and death. However, Naruto had the distinct feeling that such wasn't the case here. While he knew for a fact he had a decent reaction time, the fact that he could easily keep up with Pyrrha was a bit difficult for even him to believe.

"_Hey, Hyorinmaru, are you augmenting my movements or something?_"

"**If you're asking me if I'm doing something to help you keep up with the young woman then yes but only just. I'm merely adding to your overall skill set, not fighting your battles for you so you'd better not assume you can rely on my power to get you through all of your fights.**"

"_Wouldn't dream of it._"

As they were talking, Naruto and Pyrrha had been circling each other around the arena. Ten minutes had already elapsed in the spar but it somehow felt longer and more exciting. He could tell from their aura meters that they needed to end this soon and Naruto had already devised a way in which he might be able to end things quickly.

"_Hyorinmaru, I've got a plan on how we can end this but I'll need your help to pull it off."_

"**I'll help where I can. What did you have in mind?**"

Having chosen a strategy of her own, Pyrrha once more shot towards her opponent. Naruto saw her coming and, with a swipe of his katana, sent a wave of ice over the area floor. Rather than targeting Pyrrha herself he instead targeted the floor, covering it in a thin sheet of ice that would make it difficult for her to traverse. Pyrrha continued on unimpeded, though, as her semblance allowed her to maintain her balance despite the treacherous terrain. Naruto didn't seem at all perturbed by this, however. In fact, he seemed almost pleased. She wouldn't understand why until he brought the tip of his katana straight down onto the ice. In the next moment the ice itself melted before a wave of mist erupted from the ground. She came to an immediate halt, unable to see very far in the thick fog that surrounded him. It was a clever ploy, one that she hadn't seen used before but would undoubtedly look out for in the future.

"Now onto phase 2," Naruto said to himself, bring his hands up to make a cross sign with his finger as he spoke.

/-/

Pyrrha moved cautiously through the mist, her shield held at the ready for any surprise attacks and her weapon in its spear form, ready to skewer her opponent when she next caught sight of him. Typically, a tactic such of this, while unorthodox, wouldn't be as advantageous as someone might think. Typical mist didn't obscure a person's vision very much. A few feet outside their normal vision but even then it didn't provide much of an advantage. It was, after all, just water and water had a tendency to flow around objects and get absorbed by them. What's more the environmental features would usually have cleared most of this away. While the arena was closed off with a barrier to prevent stray bullets and debris from hitting the audience, it could just as easily clear away this mist. Funnily enough, it was sticking around and was as thick as pea soup. Pyrrha figured it must have something to do with the type of Dust he'd used. While she didn't use Dust, aside from her bullets, she was fairly certain ice Dust didn't have this sort of lingering effect.

Her thoughts were broken by the sound of movement and she quickly turned to face it. A wall of mist greeted her and she strained her ears, hoping to pick him out from his foot falls before he could attack. She quickly realized that wouldn't be the case as a dark shape could be seen making its way through the wall of fog. Brandishing his katana, Naruto leapt out at her but Pyrrha was ready. Deflecting the blow aside with her shield, she quickly countered with a thrust to his chest. Naruto was thrown back into the mist but for a moment she could have sworn she'd seen a puff of smoke after he landed. She quickly moved to overtake him but found he was already gone, having managed to recover and disappear back into his cover.

"I must admit; this is a cleaver tactic. Most opponents wouldn't have thought to use something like this," she said, glancing around.

"Given that most tournaments are held in open air stadiums I wouldn't imagine this being very effective," she heard him say, turning her body to face the direction of his voice when he spoke.

"Indeed, it would have dispersed by now. Is it some new form of Dust?"

"Something like that," he admitted.

"It's very useful for taking your opponents by surprise," she said, drawing closer to where she thought he was.

"True," he said. At that moment she felt something tickle the side of her face and she glanced over only to see the sharp blade of his katana sitting next to her. Too close for her to react, she felt him lean near closer before saying, "especially when they think they have the drop on you."

In the next moment the mist dissipated and their reveal was accompanied by sharp gasps and murmurs. Naturally, no one had expected Naruto to come out on top, especially against someone like Pyrrha. She hadn't expected it either but somehow this felt less like a loss to her. If anything it felt liberating. Having her first spar against an opponent who'd she'd greatly underestimated and rendered her first lose in a while was quite satisfying. It would certainly go a long way to putting to rest the talks of her being the "Invincible girl" for one.

"We should probably end this," Naruto said.

"Indeed," she agreed.

"I forfeit," he announced.

To say everyone was dumbstruck by this statement would have been an understatement. Pyrrha herself was so taken aback that she whipped around to look him in the face, just to make sure she'd heard him correctly. Unfortunately, she'd forgotten about the katana blade that was almost kissing her neck and soon found she'd sliced her neck along its edge when her aura flared from the exposure. Despite her hope that Naruto had been pulling her leg, she could see from his expression that he was indeed serious about forfeiting the match to her.

"Mr. Uzumaki, I must admit, I'm rather surprised that you would forfeit the match, especially when you had a clear advantage. Care to explain your reasoning?" Miss Goodwitch inquired.

"I didn't to cause Pyrrha any undo harm," he replied.

Snickers and chuckles could be heard from the audience. Even Pyrrha felt a little annoyed, finding his explanation to be more of a manner of mocking her rather than giving an actual reason.

"Care to elaborate?"

"My skills with my family's sword are of such that I'm well suited to taking on large groups of enemies and acting as crowd control. However, when facing off against a single opponent, unless I'm absolutely certain that I won't harm any innocent bystanders or don't have to worry about collateral damage, my skill set is fairly limited as a result and given that we're fighting one on one in an enclosed space, I was fairly certain one of my more destructive attacks would have done more damage than I'd intended."

"I see," Miss Goodwitch said, making a note on her scroll pad. "That is an acceptable answer, thank you. I'll trust that you'll endeavor to remedy this weakness in the future? You won't have many opportunities in my spars to face off against opponents who are willing to respect your boundaries."

"Noted," he replied.

"As for you Miss Nikos, I would advise that you be more mindful of your opponent's overall skills and abilities. While you may have been a prodigy in the tournament scene, you'll find your fellow students are not constrained by the same rules you were as Mr. Uzumaki demonstrated when he used that fog to conceal his movements."

"I'll be sure to learn from this experience," Pyrrha replied, somewhat glad to have an assessment that wasn't all praise.

"Very well, take your seats. Our next round of combatants will be as follows," she announced.

Naruto returned to his seat, ignoring the overall looks and comments from the other students as he reached his team. He glanced over at Pyrrha, giving the girl a warm smile which she returned. Her smile, however, seemed rather forced and he got the impression that she was rather annoyed by something.

"What was that?"

"Hmm?" he said, looking over at Weiss who was giving him a critical look. "What was what?"

"That. You had the fight in hand and yet you forfeited at the end. Why?"

"It's like I said, my skills are too overpowered to be used in a one on one setting. A lot could go wrong so I opted for the safer route instead."

"Hmm," she mumbled, starring at him intently as if she were trying to discern if he was lying or not.

"Look, if you're still not convinced, we'll do some training as a team this weekend in the Emerald Forest. I'll show you how destructive my abilities can be."

"Very well," she said, satisfied with his answer. "I'll be holding you to that."

/-/

The rest of their day went fairly smoothly after that. The spars that followed were fairly interesting aside from the match that included Jaune Arc, Pyrrha's partner, and Cardin Winchester, the leader of team CRDL. To say that the match had been one sided would have been an understatement. It was obvious that Cardin held the advantage with Jaune doing everything he could to try and stave off the attacks or simply survive. At the end of it he was given some rather harsh criticism by Miss Goodwitch before being sent back to his team with a rather dejected look on his face. All the while Pyrrha sent him awkward glances, telling him that she still felt bothered by their spar.

He didn't pay it much attention, though. He was more concerned with his connection to Hyorinmaru and the fact that he was able to give him such an obvious advantage (at least to him) in their spar. While he'd normally find this a boon, he wasn't one to take the easy way simply to achieve victory. All the obstacles he'd overcome, the distance he'd brought himself to, had been accomplished through hard work and training. Sure, his shadow clone jutsu helped him to gain experience quicker and thus could be seen as something of a shortcut at times but all the work he'd accomplished up to that point had been his own. It was because of this that he found himself secluded on Beacon's roof, holding Hyorinmaru in his hands as they discussed the connection they'd made.

"_So, tell me, have you always been able to increase my abilities like that or was this a recent development?_"

"**I wouldn't call it recent. While I wasn't able to do this in the beginning, overtime our connection to one another grew stronger and with it my ability to increase your own abilities through my own manipulation.**"

"_Then the simple fact that we've been together was all it took to put me on the same level as Pyrrha?_" Naruto concluded.

"**Not exactly. While simply being within one another's vicinity allowed us to establish a connection, the simple fact of the matter is that it required much more effort on your part for me to create a tangible link that enabled me to lend my strength to you.**"

"_I'm not sure I understand._"

"**Tell me, Naruto, as a Shinobi, did you find you were capable of performing the same techniques as your piers simply by viewing them or being around the tools that enabled them to accomplish their mission?**"

"_Of course not. I had to really work hard just to keep up with everyone,_" he admitted. He'd had the same trouble when learning how to perform the jutsu that allowed him to walk up the side of trees. He'd spent a good afternoon landing on the back of his head before he'd finally asked Sakura for some advice.

"**Indeed. While my presence is all that's required to create a connection between the two of us, in order for me to gain greater control and thus offer a greater portion of my power to you I required you to train and hone your skills. By doing that we were able to strengthen our bond, ensuring that I could give you greater aid when needed.**"

"_I see. So all that training we did while living in Raven's camp was meant to do more than simply teach me how to manipulate rishi_," Naruto realized.

"**Exactly. While I do intend for you to gain a greater mastery over those abilities and thus increase your overall skills and ability to rely on your own strength, I also felt it was necessary to strength our bond as well should you find yourself in a situation where my interference would be necessary. Understand, however, that I will only lend you my aid when I feel it is needed, not simply because you desire it.**"

"_I think I understand," Naruto replied. "Though, to be honest, your interference during the spar may have made things that much more difficult for me. Goodwitch probably thinks I have the skills to hold my own against Pyrrha. Knowing that she's probably going to become a regular opponent for me in the arena._"

"**Perhaps. Perhaps not.**"

"_What do you mean?_"

"**The connection you and I have established also allows me to see into you memories. I've gleaned a great deal of knowledge about you, including your work ethic. I'm glad to see you're not one to slack in their training. While you may have some difficulty handling the power you now wield, in time you will gain a greater grasp on it and require my interference less and less.**"

"_Wow, that's… cool, though a bit disturbing," _Naruto said, wondering just how many of his memories he had actually seen._ "Why can't you just take control all the time? You know, autopilot or something like that?_"

"**You mean use you like a puppet?**" Hyorinmaru asked. "**I could, it wouldn't be difficult, but certainly not something that I would recommend doing.**"

"_How come?_"

"**Do you recall the few times Kurama's chakra leaked out and overtook you?**"

The question, while seeming odd, caused Naruto to reflect on the few times it had happened. At best he remembered how overcome with rage he'd been at the time and the innate desire he'd had to kill whomever had wronged him or his friends. It hadn't been a pleasant experience, especially considering his body had paid the price for it in the aftermath, but all in all it had helped him at the time.

"_Yea, I remember._"

"**What you were probably unaware was the toll it was taking on your body,**"Hyorinmaru pointed out.** "While you were sore after the incident, allowing Kurama's immense chakra to overwhelm your body was taking its toll on you in ways you wouldn't be able to physically see. To put it in layman's terms, the act itself was causing you more harm than good.**"

"_Really?_"

"**Indeed. While the earlier incidents were minimal in their damage, had more of his chakra leaked out there was a good chance you'd start to notice lasting effects. Before long it might have killed you.**"

That statement got Naruto's attention. "_So, does that mean our connection could have the same effects?_"

"**If you were to allow me to take full control, yes. The sword itself, while acting as a conduit, also enables me to establish a connection and regulate how much of my power you wield. With time and training you'll begin to gain access to more and more of my powers until you reach a point where you can wield it completely, unimpeded by any detrimental effects. However, if I were to take over and use my power unimpeded, I'd all but destroy you as a result. That, of course, would be just as bad for me as it is for you.**"

"_I see. Then it's a good thing we spent so much time training before coming here._"

"**Indeed and, as you pointed out to your partner, you'll need to do more training to ensure you don't over compensate with your attacks. Unleashing immense amounts of energy into a single attack is easy. Honing it into a fine edge where only a certain amount is expended against a single opponent is the difficult part.**"

"_No kidding,_" Naruto agreed, reflecting on everything they'd just discussed.

"**We'll continue this conversation another time. It appears you have a guest.**"

Before he could ask who it was, Hyorinmaru cut their connection and went dormant. His mind quickly returned to the rooftop where the night sky above and the cityscape down below could be clearly seen. Considering that only his team members knew he was up here, he figured it must be either Weiss or Ruby who'd come to see him, no doubt looking for a way to monopolize some time with their partner. He was understandably surprised when he turned around and instead saw Pyrrha Nikos standing in the doorway.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said.

"Not at all," he replied, shifting so he was in a sitting position rather than a lotus stance. "Something you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, yes, actually. When I came by your dorm your teammates told me you'd gone up to the roof," she replied, answering one question he had. "I have a few questions for you, Naruto, and I'd appreciate it if you answered me honestly."

"Of course," he said, waiting for her to ask her question.

She didn't ask right away. She starred at him for a long moment, studying him. He looked back at her curiously, wondering when she was going to ask her question or if she'd somehow forgotten. Patience hadn't always been his strongest trait and sadly his attention span was beginning to wane. Pyrrha must have found what she was looking for, however, as she took a breath and asked.

"Our spar this afternoon, did you forfeit on purpose?"

Naruto stared back at her, visibly confused by the question. Did she think he'd not been serious when he'd given in? He didn't think she did. He'd explained his reasons why shortly after to Miss Goodwitch so there shouldn't be any confusion about his intentions. Still, he wasn't certain that was what she was getting at.

"Could you elaborate? I'm not quite sure I know what it is you're asking."

"Oh, yes I can see how you might be confused," she replied. "Did someone ask you to throw the match or threaten you in any way if you didn't?"

Naruto's eyebrow's rose, realizing exactly what she meant. She was asking if he'd purposely given up to make her look good.

"No," he replied flatly. "Everything I told Miss Goodwitch is the truth. No one put me up to it or asked me to lose or made any threats. Would have been hard given the fact that the matches are all random or at least to the extent that only Miss Goodwitch had any idea who would be fighting whom."

"True, you have a point there," she replied, visibly embarrassed by the conversation at this point.

"I take it that's happened one more than one occasion," he concluded.

"Unfortunately yes, it has," she replied.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked, patting the spot next to him on the roof.

She glanced at the spot and then back up at him. Giving her a warm smile, she returned the gesture and went to sit down on the roof with him.

"I take it this has something to do with your title of the _Invincible Girl_?" he asked, glancing over at her.

"I see you've heard about that," she remarked with a wince.

"Weiss gave me a lecture not long after we became partner's. She was rather scandalized by the fact that I had no idea who you were despite having come from Mistral. Honestly, I never cared for the popular people. Never really understood what all the fuss was about anyway."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said, smirking in spite of herself. "Meeting people who think that way is one of the reasons I came to Beacon."

"Oh?"

"Back home, I was placed on a pedestal. From the moment I became a competitive fighter I was seen as untouchable, in more ways than one. People who claimed I was their friend only sought to use my fame for their own gain and people I wanted to be friends with saw me as someone too far above them to be considered worthy. On more than one occasion I wanted to just take all the fame and notoriety I'd accumulated and cast it aside. I wanted to be normal for once."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because it was impossible? Because no one would believe me? Because my every move would have been questioned, scrutinized, and over exaggerated to either mean something outlandish and completely off the mark? The list goes on and on. I had very few options, if any. Beacon was one of the few I felt was marginally possible."

"And then we sparred," Naruto said, putting the pieces together.

"And then we sparred," she agreed. "I have to admit; your forfeit was so out of left field that I started wondering if someone had paid you off or threatened you in some way."

"I take it that's happened in the past?"

"More than you think. Anytime I've found myself facing off against a challenging opponent I've heard of them being sent death threats by fans or offered large sums of money by sponsors, all in an attempt to get them to forfeit or throw the match entirely."

"I can see how you would think that of me," he admitted. "I can honestly say, though, that none of those were what happened today. I haven't been using my family's sword for very long but I learned early on just how powerful it can be. Out in the middle of nowhere, facing down Grimm, it's easy for me to simply unleash its destructive power without any thought to the consequences. In a closed ring, however, one on one and with an audience, I found it much more difficult to keep that power contained."

"You say that but I remember you managing to keep up with me in that fight of ours. Not many people are able to do that," she pointed out.

"That's because I had a good teacher, one who showed me how to properly wield this type of weapon, and before that I was given some… specialized training every since I was little. Combine all of that and I was able to hold my own, at least for a little while. I ended up having to even things out when I initiated that smoke screen."

"Yes, that was a cleaver tactic," she said, thinking back on it. Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered something and she fixed him with a questioning gaze. "During that fight, I remember striking you in the chest only to have you come up from behind a moment later. Was that really you or was I imagining things?"

"No, I remember that as well," he said, rubbing the area on his chest where she'd skewered him. "You made it pretty clear that a frontal attack was the wrong idea. Besides, if you still don't believe me, I did promise to show you all this weekend in the Emerald Forest."

"I suppose and I will be holding you to that," she said, still unsure of what she'd seen. "Well, I should probably go. I didn't expect to have to hunt you down just to talk. My team will no doubt be wondering where I am."

"And I should get back before Yang starts coming up with theories of her own. Knowing her, she'll use it to rile up Weiss and Ruby and then I'll really be in trouble."

"I must admit, you are in a really unique situation," she commented with a laugh.

"Unique? Try torturous. Either one of them is difficult enough but dealing with them both is going to lead me to leaping out the window just to escape their arguing."

Pyrrha laughed at that, biding him goodbye. He waited a few minutes for her to be out of sight before beginning the journey back. He could already feel Kurama's presence as he waited for an opportune moment to butt in with his own opinion.

"**You keep making promises like that, kid, and pretty soon you're going to owe people more favors than you can keep track of.**"

"_It's two promises, one to Sakura and the other to Pyrrha. That's not a whole lot to keep track of_," he pointed out.

"**Don't forget you promised to find a way to get us home and you made the same promise to Pyrrha as you did the girls,**" he countered.

"_That's only three. The last one counts as the same thing,_" he argued.

"**Maybe to you it does,**" Kurama said with a huff.

Naruto didn't answer. He knew what Kurama was getting at. While he was starting to enjoy himself, things were starting to get complicated. He had a mission, a goal, and sooner or later he would have to end up leaving all of this behind. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't leave things on good terms. Even if it was only for a few years, he'd at least make sure to fulfill any promises he made and see to it that his friends had only good memories of him to look back on. That was his Shinobi way, after all, and nothing was going to stop him from keeping it.

* * *

**Man, I'm rather surprised and proud of myself for actually making this chapter happen. I'd initially skipped writing this chapter to instead work on MSK (My Sister's Keeper) and came back round to it hoping to have a fresh idea of what I should write. Thankfully everything started to piece itself together as I started writing and before I knew it I had everything lined up.**

**So I know there's going to be some complaints about the fact that Naruto could hold his own against Pyrrha. Given that this is the Naruto before the first time skip and therefore lacking in many of the skills he acquires later, I can see the point. That said, I figured by adding Hyorinmaru as something of a crutch who made him more skilled than he actually is was a good way of explaining it. I also wanted to make it believable and not something that he'll rely on so, when he faces tougher opponents like Adam Taurus for example, he won't be OP and capable of of owning him in one shot. He's given given a skill boost, not a guaranteed win for every battle.**

**Archangel will be following this. Vale portion of the story is starting to wind down and honestly I'm looking forward to it. I already have some plans on how I want it to end as well as some of the events that will take place in the Mistral arc. You'll see some familiar OC's of mine, mostly there to help realistically fill in some plot holes I created (though I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket with them), as well as some interesting developments. Expect a really hard ending, emotionally. Not going to spoil anything but even I know I'll have a tough time just writing it.**


End file.
